Reuters : ASEAN debate on democracy

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

ASEAN debate on democracy, human rights hots up 
01:58 a.m. Jul 26, 1998 Eastern 

By Stephen Powell 

MANILA, July 26 (Reuters) - When the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) admitted military-led Myanmar into its ranks last year, the
group hardly seemed to be moving towards more open debate on democracy. 

Yet today ASEAN is publicly grappling with the issues of human rights and
democracy to an extent it never has done before -- partly because of the
admission of Myanmar. 

At a two-day meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers which ended on Saturday,
Thailand and the Philippines pushed for a fuller discussion of
controversial issues, from democracy to the environment. 

``Like it or not, the issues of democracy and human rights are those that
we have to increasingly deal with in our engagement with the outside
world,'' Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan told the conference. 

``How are we going to put ourselves on the offensive rather than always be
on the receiving end?'' he asked. 

One reason why ASEAN is on the receiving end over human rights is the
presence in the organisation of Myanmar, whose military rulers crushed a
pro-democracy movement with heavy loss of life a decade ago and have held
on to power ever since. 

The lack of progress towards national reconciliation in Myanmar was a
constraint on ASEAN, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told a
news conference in Manila. 

He said many in ASEAN were trying to push for reconciliation between the
military government, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), and
the pro-democracy movement led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu
Kyi. 

``I know that many in ASEAN are anxious to see a focus on Burma because
they know that the problems in Burma are causing difficulties for ASEAN as
a whole, for example in the context of ASEAN's dialogue with the European
Union,'' Downer said. 

``That is constrained, inhibited by the problems in Burma because of the
European Union's stand against Burma. 

``So there is a problem for ASEAN and they know it's a problem and they're
worried about it. I think it is fair to say that many of the ASEAN
countries are doing their best to try to encourage the SPDC to take things
forward, as are we.'' 

Thailand's Surin delighted human rights campaigners in Asia with his stance
on democracy. 

``ASEAN is in danger of turning into a club of fossilised golf players if
it ignores Dr Surin's comments,'' said a pressure group called the
Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma. 

ASEAN leaders have a much-satirised fondness for golf -- Cambodian Second
Prime Minister Hun Sen has joked about his need to improve his golf if
Cambodia is admitted into ASEAN. 

Cambodia also highlights ASEAN's increased concern with human rights. The
group is keenly watching Sunday's elections in Cambodia and will admit the
country into its ranks if the elections are deemed to be fair. 

This policy is a departure from tradition, since ASEAN has not normally
linked membership with free elections. 

Cambodia was originally due to enter ASEAN last year, but ASEAN put the
admission on hold after strongman Hun Sen ousted first prime minister
Prince Norodom Ranariddh in a bloody coup. 

In Manila, Thailand won agreement in ASEAN that henceforth there would be
``enhanced interaction'' on big issues with trans-boundary implications,
though the association's hallowed principle of non-interference in members'
internal affairs would still operate. 

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore spoke out strongly against the Thai
proposals for so-called ``flexible engagement'' and analysts said that what
emerged was a compromise. 

``I would say it is a sort of a compromise,'' political science professor
Lee Lai To of the National University of Singapore told Reuters by
telephone. 

``Some countries will have great reservations in accepting this approach,''
he said of the new guidelines. ``Some of the issues are very sensitive.'' 

He cited Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia as countries which would find the
new approach difficult. 

But he said ``enhanced interaction'' was a vague phrase allowing
differences of interpretation. ``You can play with the phrase actually,''
he said. 

The debate in Manila touched some raw nerves. Malaysian Foreign Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in a speech to the conference: ``The fundamental
ASEAN principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member
states is now under scrutiny.... To abandon this time-honoured principle
would set us on the path towards eventual disintegration.'' 

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

A year of crisis in Asia, with currencies crashing and unemployment
soaring, has supplied the broad backdrop to the debate on openness in
ASEAN. Many seem to feel that avoiding touchy issues is a luxury ASEAN
countries can no longer afford. 

``The times are too critical to waste time and spare feelings,'' columnist
Beth Day Romulo wrote in a commentary on the debate in the Manila Bulletin
daily.