ASEAN and Aung San Suu Kyi

ASEAN and Aung San Suu Kyi

That the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) seems
to be breaking with the tradition of not criticizing the internal
affairs of member states by calling for the release of Aung San
Suu Kyi is certainly obvious progress towards more transparency
and credibility in solving ASEAN-related problems. Of course, I
could not agree more with Mahathir Mohamad's statement that "we
are not criticizing Myanmar for doing what is not related to us,
but what they have done has affected us, our credibility."
(Jakarta Post, July 21).

This is a correct statement indicating how nations are
becoming borderless. The junta must have been shocked by ASEAN's
move, especially by Mahathir's strong statement that "Myanmar
might have to be expelled from ASEAN" (the Post, July 21). At
least, this is a serious reminder to the generals to not use this
organization to protect their vested interests and for thinking
cautiously before committing any action that could affect its
neighbors and ASEAN credibility.

This effort of trying to be frank to each other is a
significant move in finding the best formula for a ASEAN problem
solving mechanism. After all, ASEAN is still a maturing
organization, still finding its own way. And it should be
admitted too that most of its members are not democratic
countries.

Thailand and Indonesia have enjoyed considerable degrees of
democracy, while the rest, including Malaysia and Singapore,
despite their status as economic powerhouses, have not. For
example, what Malaysia and Singapore did to their internal
"political enemies" is just as embarrassing as what the Myanmar
junta has done to Aung San Suu Kyi, with different forms of
action indeed. Malaysia and Singapore have silenced their
oppositions by using "legal" weapons, while the Myanmar junta
have used a combination of violence and legality.

One probably argues that democracy must start at home first:
How can you make ASEAN democratic if most of its members are not?
However, judging from the current situation it might be possible
to start to nurture democratic traditions by being frank to each
other first at ASEAN level, and then perhaps going down gradually
to the nation level, especially with the non-democratic
countries.

If Malaysia and Singapore think that their criticism of
Myanmar would make us forget what they have done to their own
political opponents, they are certainly wrong, too. Malaysia and
Singapore and other members must also be ready to be reminded and
criticized by each other, no matter how strong their economic
power is or how high their level of seniority is.

ALPHA AMIRRACHMAN,
Balikpapan, East Kalimantan