The Road Ahead: Indonesia’s Preparation for ASEAN Summit 2023: Epicentrum of Issues?
Written by Najwa Hakim & Nirbita Olga Ramadhanti
Introduction
Indonesia is honored to be the Chair of ASEAN in 2023. The chairmanship of Indonesia will adopt the theme ‘ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth. On this occasion, the President also expected ASEAN to become a fast-growing, inclusive, and sustainable economic region (Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia, 2023). President Jokowi invited the participating ASEAN leaders to attend the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia the following year. There are high expectations about how Indonesia would propose to implement the 2022 ASEAN Summit’s “Review and Decision” on the 2021 Five-Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar (Sharon Seah & Moe Thuzar, 2023).
How is Indonesia’s preparation for the summit, and does the process resonate with Indonesia’s leadership theme to make ASEAN the epicenter of growth?
The Preparation of ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo
The 42nd ASEAN Summit is around the corner. Due to be held on 9–11th of May 2023 at Labuan Bajo, preparation for the summit has been made in various sectors, from building infrastructure, preparing hotel readiness, and providing referral hospitals.
The government’s infrastructure includes upgrading and constructing new roads from Labuan Bajo to Tanamori in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (Kompas Cyber Media, 2023). Other than that, the infrastructure that was built included a Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) area in Golo Mori Village, East Nusa Tenggara. The construction of MICE facilities in the Golo Mori area consists of a convention hall, a VVIP lobby, a VVIP Lounge, a VIP Room, a Media Center, and an Amphitheater (Lewanmeru, 2023). It was even equipped with an observation deck and beach club.
Unfortunately, despite its readiness to be the venue for the summit, MICE Golo Mori was canceled as the main venue for the 2023 ASEAN Summit. Shana Fatina, the Main Director of the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority Implementing Agency (BPOLBF) and the local committee of the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo confirmed that the summit will only be held at Meruorah Hotel and Ayana Komodo Resort (Ardin, 2023a). However, she did not give further explanation on why MICE Golo Mori was canceled to be one of the ASEAN Summit’s main venues — stating that Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo is the one who made the decision (Ardin, 2023a). This news came to be a disappointment for the local government and community which had high hopes that the momentum could give exposure to Golo Mori Village to be better known to the outside world, as well as the opportunity to boost the local people’s economy (Kalu, 2023). However, MICE Golo Mori will be the venue for ASEAN Summit’s side event on 7–8th of May (Ardin, 2023b). Other than that, there is a plan to develop MICE Golo Mori as an area integrated sustainable tourism area that is equipped with star-rated hotel and resort facilities, world-class Meeting, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) facilities, Komodo dragon education and research center, adventure tourism, tourist port and crossings, and other tourism support facilities (Azizah, 2023). It is important to have a long-term plan for MICE Golo Mori so that the construction of the venue is not just a waste of state money.
In preparing hotel facility readiness for delegates and the national committee of the summit, 1,156 rooms at 22 hotels and resorts in Labuan Bajo were prepared (Fransiska Mariana & Resinta, 2023). Tourist arrival, shown through the amount of hotel occupancy, has the potential to bring economic impact for the local community and those working for the tourism industry and other creative economies in the area. One of the hotels that will be a venue for the summit is Ayana Komodo Resort. The resort will be the location for the summit delegations’ welcoming dinner (Benedikta Miranti, 2023). However, the resort has a history of violating the requirement for coastal boundary utilization as they do not open access to the public (Malik, 2021a). Ayana Komodo Resort was sanctioned with a fine of IDR 18,800,587,055.00 by the local Regent in regard to this (Malik, 2021b). Coastal boundary violation, which disrupts environmental sustainability is urgent. Hence, appointing this resort as the summit venue should have been reconsidered.
Referral hospitals were also prepared in regard to health-related matters. Hospitals such as Komodo Labuan Bajo Hospital, Siloam Hospital, and Santo Yosep General Hospital in Labuan Bajo have been appointed (Fransiska Mariana & Resinta, 2023). The government has also assigned two hospitals outside of the East Nusa Tenggara region as referral hospitals; Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo General Hospital in Makassar and Prof. Dr. I G N G Ngoerah General Hospital in Bali (Fransiska Mariana & Resinta, 2023).
It can be seen in the preparation process for the summit, Indonesia has given a lot of effort that must be appreciated. However, improvements are still necessary. It is crucial for the committee to ensure that the ASEAN Summit does not only look good on the surface knowing that the insides need a fixer-upper. Aside from improvements on the preparation process of the Summit as the grand show of Indonesia’s ASEAN presidency, Indonesia still has to pay attention and act upon the issue of Myanmar.
Another issue nagging Indonesia’s chairmanship: Myanmar
The conflict in Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been a long-standing issue in Southeast Asia and within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The conflict primarily involves the military government of Myanmar, also known as the Tatmadaw, and various ethnic minority groups within the country. The Tatmadaw has been accused of committing widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence, against civilians in ethnic minority areas. This has led to armed conflict between the Tatmadaw and various ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), who have been fighting for greater autonomy and political representation.
The situation in Myanmar has been a concern for ASEAN, as the bloc has a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. However, ASEAN has been criticized for not doing enough to address the situation and for not taking a stronger stance against the Tatmadaw. In recent years, the conflict in Myanmar has escalated. Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, the political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Burma has only grown more dire, with reports indicating nearly 3,000 killed, nearly 17,000 detained, and more than 1.5 million displaced (Antony J. Blinken, 2023).
ASEAN has attempted to mediate the conflict through various initiatives, including the appointment of a special envoy to Myanmar and a five-point consensus reached in April 2021. However, the effectiveness of these efforts remains unclear, as the violence and human rights abuses in Myanmar continue.
Hopes are high that Jakarta — which had steered ASEAN expertly when it had last chaired the grouping — would pull its weight and rally its ASEAN colleagues to muster up a creditable response to the Myanmar crisis (Sharon Seah & Moe Thuzar, 2023).
At a summit in Jakarta on April 24, 2021, the nine ASEAN leaders and Myanmar junta chief, Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, agreed to five points: an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties (Human Rights Watch, 2022).
The Five-Point Consensus (5PC) was too weak and not doing enough to address the root causes of the conflict in Myanmar. More than 20 months later, the military government has not abided by any of the five points that should be obvious to everyone that, by now, the generals in charge in Naypyidaw have no intention of implementing the agreement (Human Rights Watch, 2022).
Realistically, there is not much more that ASEAN can do with Myanmar, not only because it is being held back by the “non-interference” principle, but more because the military junta has refused intervention from anyone, even from its well-meaning neighbors in Southeast Asia as it continues to kill and persecute its own people that oppose its rule.
However, ASEAN leaders defended the agreement, stating that it represented a significant step forward in addressing the situation and that it was a result of constructive dialogue and consensus-building among ASEAN member states. Since the consensus was reached, ASEAN has continued to engage with all parties concerned and has taken steps to implement the five points, including appointing a special envoy to Myanmar and providing humanitarian assistance to the country. As part of the 5PC’s call to “meet with all parties concerned”, Indonesia now proposes a more nuanced approach to engaging the SAC and other Myanmar stakeholders (Sharon Seah & Moe Thuzar, 2023).
Conclusion
What does this tell us about the preparation of ASEAN Summit 2023? There are several issues relating to state budgetary waste and disruption of environmental sustainability, which are issues that are often overlooked because exposure regarding the extravagance of the summit itself turned our attention away. The issue of human rights abuses in Myanmar must also be put to attention. The summit will only be held for less than a week, but the problem that comes with its preparation might stay for a long time in Labuan Bajo and have a continuous impact on Indonesia. The same thing goes with what took place in Myanmar. In this regard, we must pay attention to the unheard.
References
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