SINGAPORE - Asean foreign ministers have said they look forward to the safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, following a briefing on the situation by its Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin on Tuesday (Feb 6).
They also underlined the need for a comprehensive, lasting solution "to address the root causes of the conflict and to create a conducive environment so that the affected communities can rebuild their lives".
They were at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat, where Mr Kyaw Tin gave his counterparts an update on the humanitarian crisis, which has seen nearly 700,000 Rohingya flee their homes in Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh after an Aug 25 militant attack triggered a military crackdown.
Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters that Asean is fully committed to assisting the Myanmar government in its humanitarian response, but that ultimately, what is needed is a long-term political solution.
"That's the only way you can rebuild lives, communities, trust, and then we can look forward to the future," he said. These are not issues which have a quick fix, but it is crucial to "make the right diagnosis" and work together, he added.
Dr Balakrishnan, who chaired the retreat, said in a statement that the Asean ministers expressed their continued support for Myanmar's humanitarian relief efforts and welcomed the ongoing work by the Asean coordinating centre for humanitarian assistance on disaster management, known as the AHA Centre, to deliver aid to all displaced persons without discrimination.
"The ministers expressed their support to the Myanmar Government in its efforts to bring peace, stability, the rule of law, to promote harmony and reconciliation among the various communities, as well as to ensure sustainable and equitable development in Rakhine state," he added.
They also urged the country to continue implementing the recommendations of an advisory commission led by former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, and welcomed the setting up of an international advisory board to implement these recommendations. The board is led by former Thai deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai.
These recommendations touch on various issues, including citizenship, communal dialogue, freedom of movement and bilateral cooperation with Bangladesh.
Dr Balakrishnan also noted that there was common political commitment among Asean members to tackle this and other challenges.
Responding to a question on plans to tackle militancy and religious conflict, he said it was important to note that it was not religion but the political abuse of religion that was the problem.
Militancy is a transboundary threat "which is a clear and present danger to all of us", he added, citing this was why there was greater intelligence cooperation, joint patrols in the Sulu Sea, and concern with what is happening in Rakhine state and Marawi in the Philippines, which was under siege by pro-ISIS militants last year.
Another security issue ministers discussed was the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
They welcomed the resumption of talks between the two Koreas, and strongly urged North Korea to immediately and fully comply with its obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Singapore has also said that one of its key initiatives as Asean chair is to work on a Model Asean Extradition treaty, as a prescursor to a legally-binding extradition treaty.
Dr Balakrishnan told reporters he was not ready to give a specific deadline, but "we're making good progress".
"And once that is settled, we can then begin the process of actually negotiating the Asean extradition treaty," he said. "These are complicated legal agreements and documents, so I don't want to rush the process. The point is that there's alignment, and what is being collectively signalled is our commitment to enhancing legal cooperation with Asean as a region."
