End of Mission Statement Thomas Andrews United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Jakarta, Indonesia

21 June 2023

It is an honor to visit Indonesia in my capacity as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Government of Indonesia for welcoming me to your country. I was honored to meet with Her Excellency Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, the Office of the ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar, the Directorate General of Immigration under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and the National Refugee Task Force. I was also glad to meet with ASEAN Secretary General, the Indonesian representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and members of Parliament. During my trip, I also had the privilege of visiting Aceh, where I met with Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who arrived on boats from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh as well as local authorities.

I am also grateful for the human rights defenders, civil society representatives and UN officials who took the time to meet with me and share their valuable perspective on the crisis in Myanmar and its impact on Indonesia and ASEAN’s approach to the crisis.

I came to Indonesia because the human rights situation in Myanmar is dire and getting worse, and because I believe that Indonesia is positioned to play a critical role in the resolution of this crisis.

My time in Indonesia has reinforced this view not only because Indonesia is this year’s chair of ASEAN, but because of Indonesia’s importance in the region and the world. Indonesia is a member of the G20, has the largest population and economy in Southeast Asia, and is an established democracy. Member States of the UN look to Indonesia because it plays a central role in addressing the crisis in Myanmar.

Download Mission Statement