Jose Ramos-Horta proposes SBY's involvement in Myanmar conflict dialogue

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The President of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta, has proposed that the 6th President of Indonesia and retired TNI General, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, be involved in ASEAN’s dialogue efforts with Myanmar authorities to alleviate the crisis in the country.

“In my opinion, if you want to speak with the Myanmar military or the Tatmadaw at any level, invite Mr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, because he is a four-star general; do not just invite junior diplomats,” Ramos-Horta said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In his remarks during a ‘Leadership Lecture’ organised by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), he explained the importance of having equal interlocutors in dialogue efforts to resolve conflicts, including in Myanmar.

Ramos-Horta cited his past experience when stationed in Sierra Leone, West Africa, noting that when attempting to dialogue with local military authorities, the generals would only listen to him and ignored the accompanying diplomats.

Based on this background, he believes that SBY, as a retired four-star general, possesses significant prestige that would ensure he is heard by Myanmar’s military-dominated authorities.

“Do not merely invite retired captains; the Myanmar military will not move; invite Mr SBY, and they might become more open,” the President of Timor-Leste added.

Furthermore, the President of Timor-Leste assessed that SBY’s success in resolving several major conflicts in Indonesia during his presidency makes him an increasingly appropriate figure to assist in resolving the Myanmar conflict.

One such example, he noted, was the successful termination of the Aceh conflict, which had raged in the province for decades until a peace agreement was signed in Helsinki in 2005.

He even expressed concern that, as a 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he felt SBY and Jusuf Kalla, who served as his Vice President from 2004 to 2009, did not receive the same recognition for their services in ending the Aceh conflict.

“The Nobel Peace Prize at that time was only awarded to Martti Ahtisaari, even though they possessed the national leadership, regardless of the situation at the time, to achieve the resolution of the conflict in Aceh,” he said, referring to the former President of Finland and 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

During the 48th ASEAN Summit, Southeast Asian leaders essentially agreed to strive for the achievement of a consensus regarding the Myanmar issue. However, discussions remain open to determine the next steps that must be taken for Myanmar.