Thais want rethink on ASEAN policy

Thais want rethink on ASEAN policy

BANGKOK (AP): Thailand's foreign minister is urging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to review its long-held doctrine against noninterference in the affairs of member states.

Hopes of modifying the policy, used over the years to discourage criticism of human rights abuses in Myanmar and East Timor, have been raised since one of its main supporters, Soeharto, was forced out as Indonesia's leader last month.

The calls were already building as ASEAN's mechanisms proved woefully inadequate to address Southeast Asia's economic crisis.

Foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan was cited in the Bangkok Post newspaper yesterday as telling senior diplomats that Thailand should not let the consensus approach obstruct Thai foreign affairs and that Thais should be "true to ourselves".

Surin was following up his own recent calls -- the first by an ASEAN foreign minister -- to replace the policy of nonintervention with one of "constructive intervention" when needed.