Myanmar bugging

Myanmar bugging

Recently, it was suspected that the Indonesian embassy in
Yangon was bugged by the Yangon military junta, which would pose
a challenge to ASEAN's "Constructive Engagement" approaches to
Myanmar's junta. Djoko Susilo, a legislator of Indonesia's House
Commission I for foreign affairs, said an investigation by a
combined security team at the embassy found a bugging device in
the wall of the ambassador's office.

This could also happen to foreign diplomatic missions, UN
agencies and international non-governmental organizations. No one
knows how many Yangon-based foreign embassies and missions have
been bugged by the military junta.

In March, 2003, Paulo Pinherio, the UN special rapporteur on
human rights in Myanmar exposed a bugging device during an
interview with a political prisoner at a notorious Insein prison.
He was angry and frustrated; the bugging incident had contravened
assurances he had been given by the junta before he arrived in
Myanmar.

Even Mahathir Mohamad said that military gangs should be
expelled from the ASEAN bloc: "We are very disappointed over
these things and, of course, we have done our very best to try to
get them to change their minds. But if they are willing to defy
the world, then what can Malaysia do?" he said.

The Yangon military junta has made ASEAN many promises. It
followed its suggestions on economic liberalization and
privatization, but not on national reconciliation and
democratization.

It's time to change ASEAN's "Constructive Engagement" and move
toward productive foreign policy.

NAING KO, Patuntani, Thailand