ASEAN: Myanmar Military Agrees to Ceasefire

Yangon, MINA – ASEAN’s special envoy to Myanmar and Brunei Darussalam’s Second Foreign Minister, Erywan Yusof, said the Myanmar military had agreed to a ceasefire until the end of the year.

Erywan revealed he had called for a ceasefire by all parties to the conflict for four months to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian aid to the country by mid-September.

In an exclusive interview with Kyodo News last Saturday, Erywan proposed the ceasefire in a video conference with Myanmar’s military-appointed foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, last Tuesday.

“This is not a political ceasefire. This is a ceasefire to ensure the safety, (and) the security of humanitarian workers,” Erywan said as quoted from Andolu Agency.

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“They have no disagreement with what I said, regarding the ceasefire,” he said.

Erywan added that he had also conveyed the proposal indirectly to those opposed to the military coup.

Currently, assistance from ASEAN is being prepared as Myanmar struggles with three crises namely political turmoil, a faltering economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center) based on Indonesia is in charge of distributing the aid to Myanmar.

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“We engage and send a signal to all relevant parties in Myanmar to stop acts of violence and exercise complete restraint,” said Erywan.

The first batch of aid consists of medical equipment for people seriously ill due to Covid-19, such as oxygen compressors and protective equipment, and will be distributed to all Myanmar people.

According to Erywan, aid for border areas controlled by armed ethnic groups may be channeled overland through neighboring Thailand.

The next step is the procurement of vaccines for Myanmar.

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Meanwhile, Erywan was appointed as a special envoy in early August or several months after the leaders of ASEAN countries agreed on a five-point consensus on the crisis in Myanmar.

Other consensus points are calling for an immediate cessation of violence, the start of dialogue for a peaceful solution, facilitation of dialogue by the special envoy, humanitarian assistance, and the envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all relevant parties.

As his negotiations with the Myanmar military continue, Erywan hopes to visit the country this month and be allowed full access to all relevant parties.

Erywan wanted “a clear picture of what I can do and what I can’t do… so that I can decide whether the visit will continue or not”. (T/RE1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)