Asean Debate on Democracy and Human

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ASEAN debate on democracy, human rights hots up

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.