Norwegian PM urges ASEAN to press Myanmar on rights
Norwegian PM urges ASEAN to press Myanmar on rights
BANGKOK (Agencies): Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland yesterday urged ASEAN countries to put more pressure on Myanmar to respect human rights and democracy, indicating growing impatience with the "constructive engagement" policy.
"We need to put pressure on the military regime to respect free and fair elections and to respect human rights," Brundtland said at a press conference here after meeting Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa.
"The so-called 'constructive engagement' policy is not sufficient," she said, referring to ASEAN's stance in promoting trade and contact with Myanmar without interference in its internal affairs.
Banharn had indicated there were differences within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on when Myanmar should be granted full membership to the grouping, she said.
"In discussing the plans for widening ASEAN, he (Banharn) clarified that for two of the countries this is already set, but for Myanmar (Burma) it's not yet clear," she said.
Myanmar was granted observer status to ASEAN earlier this year, joining Laos and Cambodia as prospective members of the regional grouping that currently comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Among ASEAN leaders, only Philippine President Fidel Ramos has called for the grouping to review its policy towards Myanmar, at its summit in Jakarta on Nov. 30.
In Yangon, Myanmar said yesterday that 197 people were still being held after a crackdown in late September on supporters of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
Myanmarese authorities had detained 573 people in the crackdown to thwart a planned NLD party congress.
They later released most of them. The official media said yesterday the remaining detainees were being held at government guest houses and police stations.
Police continued to man checkpoints and bar public access to University Avenue where Suu Kyi's residence is located.
The checkpoints set up on Sept. 26 have prevented Suu Kyi from holding her regular weekend public gatherings in front of her home for two consecutive weeks.
Suu Kyi was not available for comment.