Indonesia leading efforts for peace in Rakhine 

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has sent Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on a peace-brokering mission aimed at ending what the United Nations describes as “threefold crisis related to development, human rights and security” of the Rohingya people.
Many may perceive Indonesia’s diplomacy in Myanmar as pointless given the gravity of the conflict between the government in Nay Pyi Taw and resistance groups in Rakhine, which was recently exacerbated by attacks perpetrated by Muslim militias. The threat of further radicalisation in the territory was underlined in the recent report by the independent fact-finding commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. It warned that terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS) could be drawn to the crisis, as has already happened in Myanmar’s neighbour the Philippines.
Escalation of the conflict could easily divert the crisis into a “holy war” in defence of Muslims oppressed by their Buddhist rulers, not only in Myanmar but also other countries, including Indonesia, where the Myanmar Embassy was recently attacked with a petrol bomb.
It was amid such fraught tension that Retno arrived in Myanmar to once again try to convince the government and its leader, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, to handle the Rakhine state issue with sensitivity to all sides. Protraction of the conflict, not to mention the intervention of ill-intentioned outsiders, will not only prolong the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people but also endanger peace and stability in Southeast Asia and beyond.
On the other hand, the Indonesian constitution mandates Jakarta to play a role in maintaining international peace and order. Indonesia’s credentials as a peace-broker have been proven in its previous commitment to peace-keeping missions in war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa, under the UN.
Retno’s visit to Myanmar testifies to Indonesia’s leverage with the predominantly Buddhist state, which eludes many other countries. As the largest Asean nation by population, Indonesia played a leading role in Myanmar’s accession to the regional grouping as well as its transition, albeit with difficulty, to democracy.
As the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar deteriorated in the past few years, Indonesia has taken action rather than simply making statements – ranging from humanitarian relief for the Rohingya to bilateral dialogue, to seek solutions to the conflict in natural-resource rich Rakhine on the border with Bangladesh.
With many accounts, including the Annan-led commission’s 63-page report, revealing the severity of abuses and discrimination against the stateless Rohingya, Retno’s visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh should kick-start a concerted global effort to end the humanitarian tragedy.
It is too early to expect a settlement, or even a quick fix, in Myanmar as a result of Indonesia’s peace diplomacy. Such endeavours, however, are better than standing by and doing nothing.