Int'l NGO, Indonesian media praise Ismail Sabri's stance on Myanmar

A New York-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Human Rights Watch recognised Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri's principled and constructive stance for Malaysia and ASEAN to respond effectively to the military junta's atrocities.

In an address before the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September, Ismail Sabri noted that "Malaysia is disappointed that there is no meaningful progress in the implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus (5PC)", agreed during the group's summit in Jakarta in 2021.

According to the NGO, the prime minister had expressed concern that in its current form, the ASEAN "5PC cannot continue any longer", and a new "refined" agreement, he said, should be reached "based on a clearer framework, timeframe, and end goal".

The NGO in a statement said it has found that the junta's widespread and systematic abuses since the February 2021 coup, -- including extrajudicial killings, torture, and wrongful imprisonment -- amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Ismail Sabri's stance on the Myanmar issue also grabbed Indonesia's influential newspaper's attention last month. The Jakarta Post highlighted that the prime minister set a significant diplomatic precedent for ASEAN.

Its senior editor Kornelius Purba wrote in his opinion piece, "Ismail Sabri openly criticised the UN Security Council for doing too little to help Myanmar's people escape from the genocidal acts of junta leader Gen Min Aung Hlaing".

"We should be grateful to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri, who spoke on ASEAN's behalf, and for raising substantial issues and ideas in the name of the region's leaders," he wrote.

In a separate opinion piece recently, Kornelius said the prime minister has recorded substantial achievements, especially in foreign policy.

"His unwavering support for the ASEAN campaign against Myanmar's junta leader is very important in unifying the regional grouping vis-a-vis interferences of major powers," he added.

Leaders from ASEAN are scheduled to convene for the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, starting Friday. Myanmar will take the centre stage at the Summits as leaders deliberate on the next course of actions to deal with the deepening crisis in the junta led nation.