THE Malaysian Advisory Group on Myanmar wants the country’s military junta to provide more humanitarian aid access to its civilians.

In a statement, it also urged Asean to take decisive action to address the crisis that is affecting the region, including Malaysia.

The group said the regional and international response has been, at best, inadequate, with almost no progress made in the implementation of Asean’s Five-Point Consensus and weak mechanisms for monitoring implementation.

Asean’s Five-Point Consensus has not made progress. We urge Malaysia to reassert itself as a voice of conscience in Asean and to work with like-minded countries and partners for immediate urgent action to ease the suffering of the people of Myanmar.”

The consensus was adopted on April 24 last year, at a meeting at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta between Asean leaders and Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The leaders in their five-point consensus called for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, which includes constructive dialogue among all parties concerned to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people, mediation to be facilitated by an envoy of Asean’s chair, with the assistance of the secretary-general, humanitarian assistance provided by Asean’s AHA Centre, and a visit by the special envoy and delegation to Myanmar to meet all parties concerned.

“One year after Myanmar’s military coup, the country’s humanitarian crisis has dramatically worsened and is impacting the whole region, including Malaysia, owing to a lack of cohesive action by Asean and the rest of the world,” it said.

The military, which ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1 last year, saw its first anniversary yesterday, a marker of a year in which it has witnessed more than 7,600 armed clashes and attacks on civilians, with over 1,400 fatalities.

The group said the military has arrested more than 8,500 people and almost 390,000 people have been internally displaced due to escalation in conflict on the border areas. This is in addition to more than 300,000 already displaced before the coup.

The United Nations estimates that three million people are in need of urgent humanitarian aid, but access to civilians in need has been severely hindered by the junta.

The advisory group also urged the private sector in the region to play a more prominent role in easing the impact of the crisis, including in opening up legal migration pathways for Myanmar migrant labour.

“In addition, the continued downward spiral of Myanmar’s economy is projected to plunge 48% of the country’s population, or 25 million people, into poverty this year.

“The destruction of the legal economy has allowed illicit economic activities to thrive, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal logging, illegal mining, and wildlife trade.”

With this, the group also urged Putrajaya to allow work rights for refugees in Malaysia, the majority of whom are from Myanmar. – February 2, 2022.