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.