Asean has spoken out against Burma, after years of ignoring the brutal regime’s mistreatment of its citizens. Finally, after nearly eight years of haemorrhaging, Asean has spoken out succinctly against Burma. Over the past few days, ahead of this week’s Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the regional group asked the beleaguered country to quicken its pace of reform and get on the road to democracy.
It was supposed to be taboo just to say those words. But now that Asean has come out, the momentum must be maintained. After all, it’s better late than never, and it was the right thing to do. Summit host Malaysia should be given a standing ovation for standing up to Burma like no other country has ever dared to do.
With all due respect, it was an act of redemption, albeit a greatly appreciated one. Lest we forget, it was former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad who embraced Rangoon and swung the votes in favour of its admission into Asean back in 1997. At that time, there were strong objections from quite a few countries, but Malaysia’s persistence, coupled with the strong support of Indonesia under former leader Suharto, won the day after Mahathir argued that political factors should not be taken in consideration in Burma’s case.
But last year, Mahathir came to regret his decision and has made clear since that Burma should be expelled from the grouping. He said this despite the fact that Asean does not have any provision to kick out a member, even if that member violates the spirit of cooperation. Asean has finally woken up to the ongoing political repression inside Burma against its people, and especially against opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Asean made efforts in the past to foster political progress inside Burma, but its efforts fell on deaf ears.
Burma’s chronic intransigence will be uppermost on Asean’s mind when the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) starts to draft the group’s charter soon. The legally binding charter should be completed within a year. Asean secretary-general Ong Keng Seng said it would contain provisions that promote such universal values as human rights and democracy and serve as the human face of Asean in the international arena.
How the EPG addresses these issues will completely depend on their individual judgements and approaches, but one thing is clear: as long as there is no progress inside Burma, that country’s political conditions will loom large in the minds of the drafters. They will also be reminded of the necessity of collective action in protecting the interests and lives of ordinary citizens.
It is interesting to note that when the host spoke up and displayed a firmness of resolve, the military junta in Rangoon budged and listened attentively albeit in astonishment. Malaysia proposed sending an Asean fact-finding team to Burma to investigate conditions throughout that country, and Burma has complied with the request. In 2000, Thailand itself proposed that an Asean troika be dispatched to Burma, but Rangoon declined. That says a lot about Malaysia’s political clout relative to Thailand’s.
Indeed, Burma’s quick response was a slap in Thailand’s face. Malaysia’s call for greater openness in Burma augurs well with our southern neighbour’s growing regional and international status. The recent decision to have a senior UN official brief the Security Council in the near future will further highlight Burma’s political oppression, as well as the role of Thailand in propping up the brutal military junta.
This development is making Thailand’s efforts in regard to Burma look like nothing more than a failed public-relations campaign by the prime minister’s affiliated companies, which indeed enjoy business contracts inside that country. Sooner or later, Thailand will have to pay a very high price for its ill-devised policies towards Burma. It is nothing short of ridiculous for Thailand to maintain its years-long silence on Burma while the rest of Asean, including those who used to be staunch backers of the oppressive regime, becomes more vocal about the issue.
Asean as a whole now wants to see more progress in Burma, as well as freedom for Suu Kyi. Thailand stands in danger of finding itself isolated.