TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has requested assistance from President Prabowo Subianto in deploying military and intelligence capabilities to help address the conflict in Myanmar.
Anwar made this request during his meeting with Prabowo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, June 27, 2025.
"I also asked for the President's (Prabowo) assistance in using all military and intelligence capacities, not in the form of an attack, but to dialogue and bridge the understanding among groups in Myanmar," Anwar said in a joint statement.
He expressed appreciation for Indonesia's continued involvement in supporting peace initiatives. According to Anwar, Indonesia has long-standing experience and a strong track record in assisting conflict resolution efforts in Myanmar.
Earlier this year, on April 17, 2025, Anwar met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Myanmar’s junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok, Thailand.
In a Facebook statement, Anwar described his meeting with Min Aung Hlaing as constructive and said that discussions included plans to deliver humanitarian aid, establish a field hospital, and help restore normalcy in Myanmar.
"I welcome the latest steps to ease tensions, including the release of 4,800 detainees last night," Anwar said. "Gestures like this are significant signals. We continue to urge all parties to be seriously involved for the stability of Myanmar and the welfare of its people."
However, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) criticized the meeting. The group warned that engaging directly with the junta risked legitimizing a regime responsible for widespread atrocities and undermined regional efforts to restore democracy and the rule of law.
Rangsiman Rome, an APHR Council member and Thai lawmaker, said that no ASEAN Chair had met with Myanmar’s junta leaders since the 2021 coup. He noted that this diplomatic approach was intended to withhold legitimacy from the military regime.
"Prime Minister Anwar's decision to break this precedent threatens ASEAN's credibility and diminishes the regional consensus built over the past three years," Rome said in an official statement from APHR issued on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Charles Santiago, APHR Vice Chair and former Malaysian MP, echoed the concern. He emphasized that diplomacy should not come at the cost of recognizing a regime he described as "brutal and criminal."
"As the ASEAN Chair in 2025, Malaysia must lead with conviction, advocating a human rights-based and people-centered approach rooted in justice, not appeasement," Santiago said.
Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR Chair and an Indonesian MP, criticized Anwar's meeting with Min Aung Hlaing for not demanding an end to violence or a return to democracy.
She said this approach sent a dangerous message that could harm not only the people of Myanmar but the broader region as well.
"This further strengthens the military regime, which has militarized humanitarian aid, suppressed democratic voices, and committed unspeakable atrocities with impunity," Mercy stated.
Savero Aristia Wienanto contributed to the writing of this article
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