ASEAN human rights body: Will it have an impact on Myanmar's junta?

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/10/asean-human-rights-body-will-it-have-impact-myanmar039s-junta.html



Djoko Susilo , Jakarta | Wed, 12/10/2008 10:51 AM | Opinion

Almost a year ago, at a meeting of parliamentarians of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, I urged the ASEAN states to freeze Myanmar's membership from the 10-member grouping since there had been no serious political will to implement democracy and protect human rights, such as by releasing its jailed political opponents -- especially Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from her house detention.

Last year's incidents in Myanmar proved that such a call is indeed still valid and it will still be valid until the domestic situation in that country moves toward democracy.

The violent crackdown and the junta's brutality against the peaceful demonstrations of the Buddhist monks -- who were supported by the Myanmarese people -- were well documented and widely known throughout the international community, yet the junta recently tried to fool the world by announcing a so-called general election.

Regrettably some ASEAN leaders have expressed their readiness to cooperate with the junta and welcomed the last false referendum and the planned election as "real" progress. It is a shameful act and betrays the people of Burma/Myanmar. They don't really care about the sufferings of the people who have been oppressed by the military junta for almost two decades.

Indeed, we cannot just sit back and wait until the situation improves. Action must be taken because there has been no serious will from the military junta to work for a peaceful solution to Myanmar's problems.

With this appeal, the international community needs to work together and have a untied stand to put more pressure on Myanmar. The Indonesian government, in this case, supports the efforts of democratization and reconciliation. In his meeting with UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said it was necessary to push for Myanmar's reconciliation process from many aspects.

However, the Indonesian government believes that those aspects that must be advocated in Myanmar are not only related to democracy and human rights, but also to security and stability as potential threats to Myanmar's disintegration. This is the way to handle Myanmar's psychological issues, especially with the sense of insecurity and inconvenience of the ruling government in the context of the new Myanmar.

The Indonesian government also strongly supports Gambari's mission to solve Myanmar's problems within UN's framework and Indonesia will ensure that the issue remains on the UN Security Council's agenda.

In addition, Indonesia urges the Chinese and Indian governments to do more to convince Myanmar to improve its dismal human rights record. We believe it is important to enlist the help of these two nations to convince the junta to fulfill its promise to embrace democracy.

Within the ASEAN context, especially in its relations between the Myanmar issue and the signing of the ASEAN Charter in Singapore last year or its finalization later this year (probably) in Thailand, many have expressed concerns as to whether the charter will work as expected, especially after the recent troubles in that member country. The Indonesian parliament, for example, has expressed its concern over several of the ASEAN Charter's articles -- a legally binding treaty that regulates relations among the 10 members of ASEAN.

Recent reports of senior officials meeting in Denpasar, Bali, in preparation for the upcoming ASEAN summit produced discouraging news. The members of the high-level panel have yet to agree on the official name of the human rights body. Some reports suggest that many countries in ASEAN are more interested in the "promotion" rather than the "protection" of human rights.

Sihasak Phuangketkeow, a senior Thai diplomat who chaired the meeting said that human rights promotion and protection would be an evolutionary process given the differences of the ASEAN members, in terms of their diversities, stages of development and political awareness.

Thus, member countries do not expect too much on the protection of human rights from within ASEAN, let alone its ability to maintain peace and security in the region. Myanmar will be the biggest offender, and the crimes committed by the junta will go unpunished.

Indonesia acknowledges that ASEANS's diplomatic efforts to prod Myanmar to rapidly democratize have failed. ASEAN has recognized that its constructive engagement has not produced any tangible results. But sanctions and pressures by western countries have also failed.

Within the ASEAN Parliamentary, the Myanmar tragedy is a catastrophe for the region. The Parliamentarians urge their governments to take strong actions and recognize the seriousness of the human security problems caused by the Myanmar regime. We must be as one to end the misery and sufferings of the Myanmar people.

The writer is member of the Indonesian House of Representatives and Chairman of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary on Myanmar Caucus.