Junta 'threatens to debase Asean'

[ausgeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

South China Morning Post
Wednesday  August 27  1997

The Mekong Region 
Junta 'threatens to debase Asean' 

BURMA by William Barnes 
Human rights, education and international relations have deteriorated in Burma 
since its entry into Asean last month, a report by non-governmental groups in 
the region says.

The report undermines the claim that constructive engagement would soften the 
junta, the Alternative Asean Network on Burma said.

"We do not hold out any hope that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
will change Burma.

"We now worry that by lowering the group's informal benchmarks of behaviour 
the military junta will actually degrade Asean," said Debbie Stothard, the 
network's co-ordinator.

"The danger is that the tail will wag the dog."

The report said human rights, the refugee situation, treatment of the 
opposition, education and international relations had all "deteriorated".

Only Thai-Burma relations were "slightly better", it said.

Barely two weeks after Burma became the group's ninth member it launched a 
fresh and vigorous offensive against ethnic Karen rebels fighting for 
autonomy.