Myanmar Coup: Indonesia, Singapore Condemn Attack on Diplomats, ASEAN Humanitarian Convoy

Indonesia and Singapore condemned a recent attack on a group of diplomats and an ASEAN humanitarian convoy in Myanmar. The two countries also reiterated calls to end the violence and a commitment to dialogue between the junta and the shadow government.

According to Myanmar state media on Tuesday, a group of alleged “terrorists” attacked a convoy delivering supplies to people in the His Hseng township in the northern Myanmar region of Shan on May 7. The diplomats involved were staff from the Indonesian and Singaporean embassies and staff from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations humanitarian center.

The report said no one was harmed and showed photos of a pickup truck that suffered only minor damage, including broken glass from bullets. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident, and it remains to be seen who was involved.

The attack comes at a time when the 10-member regional grouping is meeting in Indonesia to discuss the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. Myanmar’s generals have also been banned from attending the summits due to the lack of progress in implementing the bloc’s peace plan.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesperson said a diplomat involved in the incident was “in good condition,” and the Singaporean foreign ministry said that two of its staff had returned to the embassy in Yangon. The United States has also condemned the attack while calling on the junta to implement the ASEAN peace plan.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the bloc’s current chairman, said the incident would not deter efforts by Indonesia and ASEAN to push for peace in Myanmar. The country’s shadow government, the National Unity Government, which is aligned with anti-junta militia groups, the People’s Defense Forces, said it was not involved in the incident.

Following the ASEAN discussions on Wednesday, the bloc issued a joint statement expressing concern about the ongoing violence in Myanmar. The bloc, which included Myanmar under a previous junta-ruled regime, has sought to lead efforts to end the violence that started in February 2021 when the generals overthrew Myanmar’s elected government in a coup.

“We are deeply concerned with the ongoing violence in Myanmar and urged the immediate cessation of all forms of violence and the use of force to create a conducive environment for the safe and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance and inclusive national dialogues,” said the bloc’s leaders in the statement.