On 22 January 2024, the AHA Centre hosted the Handover Ceremony of the ASEAN Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (AMRG on HADR) Representative to the AHA Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.
At the ceremony, outgoing Military Representative Colonel Imam Suryo Cahyono, who served the post in 2023, formally handed over the role to Colonel Khampheng Sonephachanh, Defence Attaché, the Embassy of the Lao PDR to the Republic of Indonesia.
The AMRG on HADR is a ready group comprising the militaries of the ASEAN Member States, established to facilitate the prompt deployment of resources to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the event of an emergency. Its operations are guided by the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), and the Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP).
Since 2018, ASEAN defence attachés have been appointed as Military Representative to assist the AHA Centre through the AMRG on HADR mechanism, aiming to facilitate the fast mobilisation of resources to member states affected by disasters. Each Military Representative serves the post for a period of 1 (one) year, starting with Singapore, followed by Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, and most recently Indonesia.
Over the years, Military Representatives to the AHA Centre have provided invaluable support for ASEAN emergency operations, such as the 2018 Central Sulawesi Earthquake, tsunami, and liquefaction in Indonesia, the 2018 flood in Lao PDR and 2020 Central Viet Nam flooding, and most recently, the 2023 Tropical Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar. Military support through the provision of military capabilities, resources, and assets, among others, is crucial to supporting response efforts, particularly in challenging operations such as search and rescue or the delivery of relief supplies to hard-to-reach areas.
“The support of the Military Representative has been a cornerstone in the AHA Centre’s capability to deliver assistance to affected member states,” said Executive Director of the AHA Centre Mr. Lee Yam Ming at the Handover Ceremony. “The role of the military is essential to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated response,” he added.
The AHA Centre extends its highest appreciation to outgoing Military Representative Colonel Imam Suryo Cahyono for his dedicated and invaluable service throughout 2023, and welcomes Colonel Khampheng Sonephachanh as he steps into the role of Military Representative to the AHA Centre. The AHA Centre stands firm in its commitment to collaborating with the military sector to realise the vision of ASEAN responding to disasters as one.
