ASEAN told to delay Myanmar's entry

ASEAN told to delay Myanmar's entry

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) yesterday called on ASEAN governments to delay Myanmar's entry into the regional grouping until it makes more acceptable political changes.

Thirty-three NGOs, in a memorandum to Malaysia's foreign ministry, urged Malaysia to reconsider its support for Myanmar's application to be a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"We are convinced that (Burma's) State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has no intention of implementing genuine changes in Burma after eight bloody years of power," said a spokesman of the NGOs, Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman.

Myanmar's ruling junta marked its eighth anniversary in power yesterday with little fanfare, but vowed to maintain peace and prosperity.

The protest came after Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi confirmed Tuesday that Malaysia had received Myanmar's formal application to become an ASEAN member.

The application was made at the end of last month's visit of Burmese junta leader Than Shwe to Malaysia, Abdullah said. ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, wants to include Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia into its fold by the turn of the century.

Ahmad accused the SLORC of using its ASEAN membership to legitimize its "heinous crimes."

"Since the regime gained both ASEAN observer status in July and our government's endorsement for membership, the SLORC has increased its harassment of the people of Burma (Myanmar)..." Ahmad said.

"Clearly, the notorious SLORC is using the guarantee of ASEAN membership as a license to further perpetrate violations and abuses against our 47 million neighbors in Burma," he added.

The SLORC must correct its human rights record and pave the way for a new democratic rule before being allowed to join ASEAN, said Fan Yew Teng, another NGO spokesman.

"ASEAN governments must not give the impression that it is condoning the practice of a military rule," Fan said.

He said the NGOs were alarmed by continuing reports of forced labor, arbitrary killings, state-endorsed rape, torture, forced recruitment of children into SLORC's army and illegal incursions into Thailand and Bangladesh.

The NGO's also criticized the junta's denials of rights for the ethnic Moslem-Rohingyas in the Arakan state.

Debbie Stothard, another NGO spokesman, described the junta's violations as a "slap in the face" for proponents of the "constructive engagement" policy, and warned that the policy may turn out as a "disaster" for the whole region.