Govts told to respect the rights of parliaments
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) are calling on governments across the world to respect the rights of their respective parliaments and cease any activities which would politically stifle democratically elected representatives.
The IPU is set to issue a resolution to show support and defend legislators suffering intimidation from their governments.
While the resolution would likely steer away from naming specific governments, delegates conceded that it is directed against the oppression of political forces in Pakistan and Myanmar.
"Although it (the resolution) does not mention certain countries, it is possible that people will perceive it as referring to events in Myanmar and Pakistan," conference chairman Akbar Tandjung told journalists.
The resolution is expected to be released on Friday, the final day of proceedings.
Akbar also refuted suggestions that the resolution would be interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, arguing that it was merely underlining and reasserting internationally recognized norms.
He said the resolution would urge countries to stop intimidating legislators who were democratically elected, and return them their rights.
A display of solidarity towards politically bridled colleagues was also underway in the venue's meeting rooms on Wednesday.
Several IPU delegates held a meeting with exiled Myanmar activists. The main point of discussion was support for Aung San Suu Kyi and other elected representatives whom activists say are being politically persecuted.
"We are very happy that the IPU is supporting us. We hope that the IPU's resolution will call for the release of Suu Kyi and other MPs," Suu Kyi's cousin Sein Win, who represents the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), said.
Sein Win, who was also elected as an MP in the 1990 elections in Myanmar which was later annulled, urged the Yangon government to recognize the MPs elected in the elections.
He claimed that more than 2,000 legislators around the world have signed a petition to support the democratically elected members of Myanmar's parliament.
During the meeting, several delegates, including those from Indonesia, South Korea, Cambodia and Estonia, expressed support for the struggle of NCGUB.
The National League for Democracy which is chaired by Suu Kyi won 392 of 485 parliamentary seats in the election before it was later annulled.
Embargo
The IPU is also debating a motion on the effectiveness of embargoes and economic sanctions.
The subject was proposed by Belgium under the title "Are embargoes and economic sanctions still ethically acceptable, do they still work and are they suited to achieving their purpose in an even more globalized world?".
Representatives from Iraq, a country which has been the target of sanctions sponsored by the United States, has also been lobbying on the sidelines of the meeting for an end to embargoes.
Iraq National Assembly Speaker Sadoon Hammadi told a media briefing that the embargo should be lifted since Iraq has met the requirements imposed by the UN.
"All of our children suffer malnutrition and thousands of them die because of the embargo," Hammadi said.
He claimed the United States and the United Kingdom which both reject an end to the embargo, do not want to see a balance of power between Iraq and Israel.
"If we are disarmed, Israel should be disarmed too," he remarked.
A contentious issue rising in the conference is the resolution on the Middle East crisis. The resolution is expected to be brought before the plenary session on Friday to be voted on.
Until Wednesday evening, the drafting committee on the resolution could only agree to about a quarter of the contents which have been jointly proposed by Algeria, Morocco and Indonesia.
One of the thorny points remains whether the resolution should directly condemn Israel for the recent violence which has erupted in the region. (jun)