“Burma’s membership in Asean is enough for now; but allowing the junta to chair the region is too much.” This was how Burma watchers expressed their view on Burma’s controversial chairmanship of the Asean in 2006, as they urged the Asean foreign ministers who are meeting in Cebu from April 9 to 12 to join the mounting demands of the international community to prevent Burma’s military rulers from chairing the region due to the junta’s poor human-rights record.
“Burma’s membership in Asean is enough for now; but allowing the junta to chair the region is too much.”
This was how Burma watchers expressed their view on Burma’s controversial chairmanship of the Asean in 2006, as they urged the Asean foreign ministers who are meeting in Cebu from April 9 to 12 to join the mounting demands of the international community to prevent Burma’s military rulers from chairing the region due to the junta’s poor human-rights record.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo is hosting his counterparts from Asean member-states Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in the Cebu meeting.
Do not repeat the same mistake
“We are urging Asean not to repeat the same mistake. It was a mistake to accept Burma into the Asean in 1997, it will be another monumental blunder to allow Burma’s military rulers to chair the region next year,” said Gus Miclat, Executive Director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID).
Under Asean’s rotation system, Burma will host the annual meeting of the Southeast Asian leaders in 2006 and the foreign ministers meeting in 2007. Burma will also lead a major security forum which will be attended by its dialogue partners including the EU and the United States.
The United States and the European Union, Burma’s fiercest critics, however warned that they will boycott further Asean meetings if Burma would become chair of the region.
“We are talking here in the language of justice. The Asean ministers should realize that stripping Burma of its Asean chair is also an act of giving justice to the 52 million population of Burma who have suffered a military dictatorship for 43 years now,” Miclat added.
Pure Baloney
Miclat added, “If the junta cannot efficiently govern its own country, how do we expect it to effectively lead the region? The junta doesn’t have a pinch of moral authority to lead the Asean. Allowing it therefore to steer the region next year is pure baloney.”
IID, the secretariat of Free Burma Coalition Philippines, also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Burmese democratic leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under continuing house arrest. Suu Kyi will turn 60 years old on June 19.
Miclat stressed, “For many years, the region handled Burma’s military rulers with kid gloves. Asean leaders hoped their constructive engagement policy would ultimately result in reforms in Burma. Unfortunately, that has not happened.”
He concluded, “There is little to lose if Burma is stopped from chairing the region. But if Asean gives the wrong signal to Burma’s military rulers, then we can expect more human rights violations and injustices inside Burma in the coming years.”
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