Opposing ASEAN Chair To Burma
By Nava Thakuria
24 November, 2011
Countercurrents.org
Burma’s elevation as the ‘would be chair’ of the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has irked many, primarily the pro-democracy
Burmese and their sympathizers in Asia. Terming the recent initiative
of ASEAN to grant Burma the 2014 Chair as ‘premature as the
authorities have failed to fulfill key promises of reform’, a number
of organizations argued that the ‘decision might even embolden them
(Burmese government) to continue committing human rights abuses with
total impunity’.
“We call for ASEAN to keep its options open on reversing its decision
on Burma’s chairing the regional bloc if the military-led government
back-slides on promises concerning human rights and democracy,”
revealed in a statement issued by these organizations. They also
asserted that ASEAN’s decision to deliberately ignore the new war in
Kachin state and escalation of military attacks in eastern Burma this
year, is a betrayal of its international and regional obligations to
the wellbeing of ASEAN citizens.
It may be mentioned that the southeast Asian leaders while meeting in
Bali of Indonesia during 19th ASEAN Summit, agreed to allow Burma to
assume the chairmanship and allow the country to host the annual
meeting in 2014.
Soon after the election in November 2010, Burma has showcased some
changes. As the military ruled country was put under a semi-democratic
regime, the government had withdrawn the house arrest of opposition
leader Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Thousands prisoners, some of
them were active leaders and workers of National League for Democracy
were also released from the jails. The recent reports from Rangoon
reveals that Ms Suu Kyi may contest a by-election in the coming days
after completing formalities with the government.
Meanwhile, the Burmese government led by the former general Thein
Sein asked its pro-democracy activists in exile around the world to go
back to their country. Some of the exiles have reportedly returned
back though many of them have apprehension about the commitment of
the present Burmese regime.
The northeast India, primarily the State of Mizoram, supports nearly
80,000 Chin (Burmese) people who had left their country because of
repressive law and bad governance. Some other 20,000 Burmese are
living in India as labour, maid and petty vendors with acute poverty
and insecurity. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in
New Delhi has registered only few thousands Burmese refugees in India
till date facilitating some supports to them.
The Burmese government with its changing image wants the economic
sanctions imposed by the USA and various European nations to be
lifted. Recently the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also accepted an
invitation from Burma to visit the country in near future. The USA
President Barack Obama announced recently that their Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton is visiting Burma in the coming days.
Even though, the ASEAN decision offering chair to Burma invited
critical comments from various political observers as they argued that
the country should have been offered the opportunity only after Nay
Pyi Taw initiates significant democratic changes and improves its
human rights record.
“The ASEAN leaders must be prepared to face the national and regional
consequences of its premature decision, including increased
displacement, undocumented migration and drug production that results
from its ill-timed decision to grant Burma the 2014 chair,” added the
statement, which was signed by Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma,
Asian Centre for Human Rights, International Federation for Human
Rights , South Asia Forum for Human Rights, All Student and Youth
Congress of Burma, All Women's Action Society, Asian Forum for Human
Rights and Development, Asian Indigenous Women's Network, Burma Centre
Delhi, Forum for Democracy in Burma, Human Right Education Institute
of Burma, Student and Youth Congress of Burma, Women’s League of Burma
etc.
“We are extremely disappointed that ASEAN did not use the unique
opportunity it had to influence the Thein Sein’s government to take
meaningful steps towards democratic transition, peace, and national
reconciliation,” asserted the statement.
“ASEAN has never been a strong promoter of peace and democracy in
Burma. Even in 2006 when Burma was due to take up the chair, it was
under pressure from the West and not ASEAN itself that Burma forfeited
its turn after Western nations threatened to boycott the bloc’s
meetings,” argued Khin Ohmar, coordinator of Burma Partnership and
chairperson of Network for Democracy and Development.
She also added that the ASEAN’s decision also failed to take into
consideration that the regime has not taken any steps to end the
longest running civil war in the world, but has instead deployed more
troops in ethnic nationality areas, nor has it shown any willingness
to engage in genuine and inclusive political dialogue with opposition
forces in the country.
Human rights violations and atrocities in northeastern Burma have
significantly increased since President Thein Sein came to power.
Between August 2010 and July 2011, the Burmese regime forced at least
112,000 people, the highest estimate in a decade, to flee their homes
in eastern Burma. In addition, over 20,000 fled their homes as a
result of the Burma Army offensives in Kachin State and northern Shan
State, disclosed in the statement.
The Thein Sein’s government has recently embarked on a series of
largely cosmetic changes with an aim to gain international legitimacy,
but the ground reality remains almost the same. The government has
recently few prisoners, but there over 1,600 political prisoners are
still behind bars. The Burmese Information Minister Kyaw Hsan even
denied of any political prisoners in Burma recently. Similarly, the
Parliament refused to repeal oppressive laws that facilitated the
imprisonment of several thousand political prisoners and adopted new
restrictive laws that disenfranchise many activists convicted in the
past.
Debbie Stothard, coordinator of Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma
claims that narcotics production and trafficking continues to run
rampant throughout Burma with active support of the regime. Speaking
to this writer from Bangkok Ms Debbie asserted that Burma is the
second largest producer of opium in the world. In some areas of Shan
State under the control of the military-led government, the opium
cultivation has increased by 78.58% within the last two years creating
a greater threat to the security of neighbouring States, she added.
Nava Thakuria is a journalist based in Assam
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