ASEAN basks in rare int'l praise over Suu Kyi

ASEAN basks in rare int'l praise over Suu Kyi

Martin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse, Phnom Penh

Once derided as a sunset organization, ASEAN basked on Friday in
rare international praise following its unprecedented call on
military-ruled Myanmar to free detained democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.

Officials and analysts said the group's breaking this week of
its cardinal see-no-evil, hear-no-evil rule of non-interference
in the domestic affairs of members offered hope for more
democratic reforms in the region, but stressed the burden was now
on ASEAN to sustain the momentum.

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) who met here earlier this week issued a statement
calling for the early release of Suu Kyi, who was arrested May 30
after an attack on her supporters that has left dozens dead.

Although the statement was cloaked in diplomatic language --
the ministers urged Myanmar to "lift restrictions" instead of
"release" -- it sent a message to the international community
that finally the 36-year-old regional bloc had found its voice.

Ministers stressed that the non-interference policy remained,
but the statement on Myanmar's internal politics contained in a
wide-ranging joint communique has opened a window to put pressure
on errant members.

"The principle still stands. But no country from here on may
claim absolute immunity from collegial scrutiny if certain
policies or acts of commission or omission tend to put the whole
organization in disrepute or undermine its credibility," said
Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople.

The 10-member group, which makes decisions based on consensus,
has been criticized in the past for standing by as events in the
region boiled.

It was slammed for not doing enough during the Asian financial
crisis in 1997-1998 and being silent when Indonesia-backed
militias razed East Timor, as well as for keeping its mouth shut
on alleged human rights abuses in Myanmar.

Such inaction allowed countries and institutions outside the
region to take the lead -- the International Monetary Fund in
case of the financial crisis, Australia on East Timor and the
United States and the European Union on Myanmar.

But the goodwill generated by its strong stand on the arrest
of Suu Kyi has given ASEAN some hope about further reforms.

"Aside from the potential material benefits in terms of
investments, this development if sustained will make Southeast
Asians proud of their organization," an ASEAN official said.

It will also encourage democratic change in the region because
"people would feel more assured" that ASEAN will take a stand.

Singapore Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar said he was encouraged
by the level of openness in the discussions, especially during
the "retreat" when the ministers met only among themselves in an
informal setting.

He said the point was impressed on Myanmar that its move to
arrest Suu Kyi was a setback not only to the country but also for
ASEAN, which is competing with China in the race for foreign
investment.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who attended the annual
series of meetings here, said ASEAN's stand on Myanmar was not a
matter of the group interfering in Yangon's internal affairs.

"It is a question of ASEAN insisting that one of its members
heed the deep concerns of its neighbors and of the international
community," Powell said.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen also lashed out against
Myanmar, according to his chief of cabinet Sok An.

"The prime minister said that if he was involved with that
situation (in Myanmar) personally, he would not only release her
unharmed but would conduct free and fair elections."

Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung, the junta's face and voice
to the outside world, said he felt like the bulls-eye in a
dartboard in the wake of the unbridled criticism meted out to him
this week.

But not all analysts are optimistic of what the latest
development means for ASEAN.

By speaking up against Myanmar, the association was "doing the
minimum it can without taking real action," said Andrew Tan, a
security analyst with the Institute of Defense and Strategic
Studies in Singapore.

"ASEAN cannot do what the Americans and Europeans are doing --
sanctions, so this is the best response, send a signal."

Tan said he thought the abandonment of the non-interference
policy was a "one-off" move in the case of Myanmar.

"I don't think they will abandon their constructive engagement
policy as consensus is a cornerstone of ASEAN," he said.