ASEAN fails to push reforms in Myanmar: Thai academics
ASEAN fails to push reforms in Myanmar: Thai academics
Agence France-Presse, Bangkok
Thai academics on Sunday criticized Southeast Asian nations for not doing enough to promote democracy in Myanmar, during day-long events to mark the 60th birthday of detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has taken a purely economic interest in military-ruled Myanmar, an international pariah because of widespread human rights abuses, said Pornphimol Trichote of Chulalongkorn University.
"ASEAN will not take any serious action because some countries in the group have problems with democracy," she told a seminar on Myanmar and ASEAN.
Sen. Kraisak Choonhavan, head of the Senate foreign affairs committee commission, said Thailand should urge China and India to pressure Myanmar to reform. "Otherwise, we'll have to come here and make requests every year until we make our neighbors understand what we are calling for."
The seminar was among the activities at the respected Thammasat University, which on Sunday awarded an honorary doctorate in political science to Suu Kyi. It was accepted by one of her representatives.
The award was originally bestowed in 1991 but never given because Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for nine of the past 16 years.
The military-ruled country is supposed to take over the rotating chair of ASEAN from Malaysia next year, but some members as well as ASEAN's western partners oppose such a role for the outcast regime.
Former Thai ambassador to the United Nations Asda Jayanam said ASEAN had failed to change Myanmar, while the bloc's policy of non-interference was affecting the entire group.
"ASEAN is the hostage of Myanmar's government," he said. "Everything now depends on Myanmar's decision. Why does ASEAN let Myanmar do it?"
Washington and the European Union have warned they may boycott ASEAN meetings if Yangon takes the helm, arguing that chairing ASEAN would legitimize the military government's rule.
Malaysia's former premier Mahathir Mohamad on Friday also called for her release.
Mahathir, who engineered Myanmar's entry into ASEAN in 1997, said the junta should not be afraid of the ramifications of freeing the democracy figurehead or making other reforms.
Parliamentarians in several ASEAN countries have urged their governments to block Myanmar's accession to the chairmanship unless it reforms.
Mahathir has said in the past that Myanmar might have to be expelled from ASEAN if its military rulers continue defying world pressure to release Suu Kyi, whose party won disallowed 1990 elections in a landslide.