On Saturday, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) special envoy to Myanmar, Erywan Yusof, said his proposal for a four-month ceasefire by all sides in Myanmar’s conflict has been accepted by the country’s military government. The ceasefire is aimed at enabling the smooth delivery of the first batch of humanitarian assistance, with the delivery of aid expected to begin as early as mid-September.
Speaking to Kyodo News, Yusof, who is also Brunei’s second Foreign Minister (FM), said he proposed the ceasefire until the end of this year in a videoconference with Myanmar’s military-appointed FM, Wunna Maung Lwin, last Tuesday, and the military accepted it.
“We are engaging and sending signals to all the concerned parties in Myanmar to stop any violent acts and exercise utmost restrain. What we are calling for now is for all sides to undertake a cessation of violence, especially with regards to the distribution of humanitarian assistance. This is not a political ceasefire. This is a ceasefire to ensure safety, (and) security of the humanitarian workers, as they go out and distribute aid to the people safely,” Yusof said.
The envoy noted that Myanmar’s junta government did not “have any disagreements” with his ceasefire proposal. Yusof said he has also passed his proposal indirectly to parties opposed to the military’s rule. “I hope the message is passed on to them,” he added.
Yusof was appointed as the ASEAN envoy to Myanmar by the member nations’ foreign ministers in August. He is expected to help mediate the country’s deepening political crisis. Myanmar’s junta government accepted the ASEAN envoy after a special meeting in Jakarta in April decided on five points of consensus to resolve the crisis.
Myanmar spiralled into chaos on February 1 after the country’s military seized control of the government for one year and many high-level politicians, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, were placed under house arrest. The coup was attributed to the failure of the government to act on the military’s questionable claims of voter fraud in the election conducted last November, when the National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide victory with 83% votes. Due to the election result, the military saw the NLD as eroding its influence and sought to reinforce dominance via a coup.
Since then, over 1,000 civilians protesting the coup have been killed by security forces, and the regional bloc has been trying to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Myanmar Junta Accepts ASEAN’s Ceasefire Call Till Year-End to Distribute Aid
Myanmar’s military rulers have agreed to a ceasefire called by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) until the end of the year to complete the distribution of humanitarian aid.
September 7, 2021
SOURCE: REPORTING ASEAN