Govts in region doing their best to help Myanmar re-establish stability in Rohingya refugee crisis: PM Lee
SYDNEY - Asean and Australia are doing their best to help Myanmar re-establish stability and tranquility in its Rakhine state, an issue that was "comprehensively discussed" at the just-concluded inaugural Asean-Australia Special Summit.
At a joint-press conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi had sought humanitarian and capacity-building support from Asean and other nations.
"So our goal is to support a peaceful and speedy resolution of the humanitarian problems - humanitarian disaster truthfully - that has resulted from the conflict. But it was certainly an issue that has been discussed very constructively in our meeting."
Both leaders were asked if Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was correct in saying that the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar could become a serious security threat for the region. In a speech at a counter-terrorism conference on the sidelines of the special summit on Saturday, Mr Najib had said: "Rakhine with thousands of despairing... people who see no hope in the future will be a fertile ground for radicalisation and recruitment by (ISIS) and affiliated groups."
Mr Lee responded that he did not have any specific intelligence on whether there were terrorist groups as Mr Najib had suggested, but added: "These are possibilities which you cannot rule out and which you have to keep on being on the watch out for."
"All of us in the region would be anxious if there's any instability, if there's any trouble in any of our member countries. We are also concerned as human beings if there is a humanitarian crisis that has developed and people's welfare and lives and safety are at stake," he said. "And we do our best to help the governments to re-establish stability and tranquility in the situation."
Added Mr Turnbull: "We all, everyone seeks to end the suffering that is being occasioned by the events, the conflict, the dislocation, the displacement of persons," he said.
The special summit concluded on Sunday with the issue of a joint statement, The Sydney Declaration, which sets out the partners' commitment to boost cooperation in areas ranging from investment to security.
The declaration also notes that Asean and Australia have grave concerns about the escalation of tensions in the Korean Peninsula including North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, which threaten regional and global peace and security.
It said: "We reiterate our support for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner as well as initiatives towards establishing peace in the Korean Peninsula. We welcome efforts to improve inter-Korea relations. We also welcome Asean's readiness to play a constructive role in contributing to peace and stability in the Korean peninsula."
During the press conference, the two leaders also recapped issues discussed at the summit, including cooperating on security issues and developing economic ties.
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