People's interests, Myanmar and economic cooperation top ASEAN Summit takeaways

The 42nd ASEAN Summit closed on May 11 with leaders of the regional bloc stressing their commitment to attention to interests of common people, protection of human rights in Myanmar, and stronger economic cooperation.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, whose country chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, presented the agreed issues to the media at the end of the two-day conference in Labuan Bajo, a popular tourist site on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

On the issue of attention to the interests of the common people in ASEAN, Widodo stated that they include the protection of migrant workers and victims of human trafficking.

Matters on the interests of the people have become the interest of the region's leaders, the Indonesian president noted.

"I have asked ASEAN countries to take strict measures against main actors," he added.

On the issue of protecting human rights in Myanmar, Widodo said that violations cannot be tolerated.

In handling the Myanmar issue, he said, ASEAN will stick to its Five-Point Consensus, which signifies that ASEAN must engage all stakeholders, and this issue must be firmly maintained by ASEAN "because ASEAN's credibility is now at stake," Widodo noted.

Indonesia is prepared to talk with whomever it needs, including the military authorities and all other stakeholders in Myanmar on humanitarian interests, Widodo said.

"The important thing I wish to stress is that engagement is not recognition," he said.

Widodo said that Myanmar had not been invited to ASEAN Summit but this was not "megaphone diplomacy" from Indonesia and in accordance with the Five-Point Consensus.

"We hope Myanmar also has a political commitment to internal dialogue between them and what I need to emphasize again is engagement does not mean recognition. This is clear," the president noted.

"We have engaged parties in Myanmar to find solutions," Widodo told the media during a question and answer session. "Many parties are involved, many interests are involved."

He added that ASEAN hoped to increase the number of stakeholders in Myanmar.

Widodo also said he told other ASEAN leaders that unity is very important. Without unity other parties will find it easy to divide the organization, he noted.

"I am certain that not one ASEAN member country wants that to happen," he said. "There must not be any internal or external party that will take advantage of the internal conflict in Myanmar. Violence must be ended and people must be protected".

On the issue of economic cooperation, Widodo said that ASEAN has agreed to become an ecosystem for electric vehicles and wants the region to become a key part of the global supply chain using the downstream industry, which involves processing raw materials to add value.

He also said that ASEAN leaders present at the summit agreed to strengthen the implementation of transactions in local currencies and the connectivity of digital payments between member countries.

This is in line with the concept of ASEAN centrality, which will make the region stronger and independent, Widodo said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and State Secretary Pratikno joined Widodo in the press conference.

Marsudi said that ASEAN leaders supported Indonesia in its role as chair in conducting inclusive engagement with all stakeholders in Myanmar.

"The lack of progress of the Five-Point Consensus does not mean ASEAN has to give up," she noted.

Leonardus Jegho is a freelance journalist for China Daily.