'ASEAN membership to change Myanmar'<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
\nsaid yesterday that Myanmar's early entry into ASEAN would be a
\nmore constructive way of speeding up economic and political
\nchanges there.<\/p>\n
"If we bring Myanmar into the ASEAN fold, there will be things
\nthat will rub off on them and they will be more willing to change
\ntheir economic and political system," he told a gathering
\norganized by the Harvard Clubs of Asia.<\/p>\n
He was responding to a question on why Malaysia had been so
\nsupportive of the Myanmarese authoritarian regime, which has been
\nwidely accused of gross violations of human rights.<\/p>\n
"We in ASEAN approach things in a different way, we persuade
\nand do not resort to arm-twisting people," Mahathir said, taking
\na swipe at the United States for calling on countries in the
\nregion to impose sanctions on Myanmar.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, who is still hosting Myanmarese junta leader Than
\nShwe, on Wednesday said that the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) had nothing to fear from the United States if it
\naccepted Myanmar as a member.<\/p>\n
Mahathir even wanted to see Myanmar become an ASEAN member by
\nnext year to quicken the pace of change.<\/p>\n
He told members of the Harvard Clubs that he believed ASEAN's
\npolicy of "constructive engagement" towards Myanmar, which he
\nadmitted had been viewed cynically by the West, had paid off
\nhandsomely.<\/p>\n
"Myanmar has changed now. There was a time it was
\nisolationists and there was total anarchy and people could not
\nwalk in the streets," Mahathir said.<\/p>\n
Mahathir said the situation in Myanmar had improved although
\nhe agreed that the Burmese government was not "totally benign."<\/p>\n
"Myanmar is more open and more prosperous now and there is
\nevidence that their people are now much more free to move around,
\nalthough not free in the sense of (democratic standards) from the
\nviewpoint of the West, but free to have a better life," Mahathir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"So we can see this constructive engagement policy has paid
\noff," he asserted.<\/p>\n
He said it was more effective to use another developing
\ncountry that had experienced progress, like Malaysia, to
\ninfluence improvements, "as (Myanmar) can use Malaysia as a model
\nfor change."<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-membership-to-change-myanmar-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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