REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Tuesday to discuss the current persecution on the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine with Bangladesh government officials.
Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Twitter account stated here on Tuesday that Marsudi had a meeting with her Bangladesh counterpart Mahood Ali in Dhaka to discuss the plan to provide humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees who had fled from Rakhine State to Bangladesh.
Marsudi also met officials of UNHCR and IOM to discuss the humanitarian crisis at the border of Bangladesh.
Prior to her visit to Bangladesh, Marsudi had visited Myanmar to meet State Counselor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi and several high officials on Monday to address the ongoing armed skirmishes in Rakhine State.
Indonesia has submitted a proposal to Myanmar calling for Formula 4+1 for Rakhine State to restore peace and allow immediate access to humanitarian assistance in the conflict-hit region.
The formula includes four main elements to recover security and stability, maximize self-restraint and avoid use of force, protect all citizens of Myanmar regardless of ethnicity and religion, as well as open access for humanitarian assistance.
Also read: Retno Marsudi calls for de-escalation of conflict in Rakhine
The one positive element is to implement the recommendations from the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by (former UN security general) Kofi Annan.
"The authority of Myanmar should cease from any form of violence, which occurs in Rakhine State, and provide protection to all society, including the Muslim one," Marsudi remarked.
During her discussion with Suu Kyi, Marsudi particularly highlighted the lengthy duration taken for the process of distributing humanitarian assistance to the people in Rakhine State.
"In this case, we encourage the Myanmar government to create a mechanism for distributing humanitarian assistance that can be led by the government but at the same time involve the International Red Cross and countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Indonesia," Marsudi explained.
During a meeting with Senior General U Min Aun Hlaing, the commander in-chief of Myanmar Armed Force, Marsudi reiterated the importance of de-escalation of situation in Rakhine State and called on the Government of Myanmar to cease from any form of violence and provide protection to all society, including the Muslims.
Marsudi also hoped that the authority of Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh would have mutual cooperation in safeguarding their border without neglecting humanity.
The attack on the Myanmar police on Aug 25 by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has triggered a counter-offensive raid that resulted in the killing of more than 100 people, including civilians.
Also read: Civilian safety must be guaranteed in counter-insurgency operation: BHRN
The incident has forced thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh to avoid Myanmar's worst humanitarian conflict in the last five years.
Restoring security and stability in Rakhine State is essential to allow humanitarian aid and rehabilitation process as well as the inclusive development that takes place in the region, Marsudi stated.
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