Indonesian Foreign Minister to Meet with Bangladesh PM to Discuss Rohingya Issue

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi meets Ambassadors from ASEAN countries to Myanmar and from other friendly countries in Yangon, Myanmar, Tuesday (4/9). (Photo by: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

After meeting with Commander of Myanmar Armed Forces General U Min Aung Hlaing and conveyed a proposal to resolve the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State to Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, on Monday (4/9), Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi on Tuesday (5/9) left for Dhaka, Bangladesh, to discuss a similar issue with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.

The official Twitter account of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs @Portal_Kemlu_RI recently uploaded a video when Retno Marsudi, accompanied by Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar Ito Sumardi, left a VIP room at Yangon International Airport to an airplane that would take her to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

It is expected that the talk between Retno Marsudi with her Bangladeshi counterpart and Bangladesh Prime Minister will discuss the fate of Rohingya people who are badly affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

It was also reported that Retno received a phone call from Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif to also discuss the latest situation in Rakhine State. On that occasion, the Iranian Minister expressed his concern over the latest situation in Rakhine State.

Previously on Monday (4/9), Retno Marsudi also met with Ambassadors from ASEAN countries to Myanmar and from other friendly countries to discuss the escalating tension in Rakhine State.

In the meantime, as previously reported, during her meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Retno directly conveyed to her a proposal from the Indonesian Government called 4+1 Formula to address the crisis. The four elements in the Formula are stability and security, maximum self-restraint and refrain from violence, protection for everyone in Rakhine State regardless of ethnicities and religions, and the importance to open access for humanitarian aids.

“The first four elements are main elements that must be immediately realized to prevent this humanitarian crisis and security crisis from taking a turn for the worse,” Retno said, adding that another element is the importance to immediately implement recommendations based on the report from the Advisory Commission for Rakhine State led by Kofi Annan.  (ES) (EP/YM/Naster)