When you visit the ASEAN Secretariat official web site – aseansec.org, you will find buzz ling news update at the front page of the web site of many ASEAN initiatives? In the left panel links - you have important web linkages - about ASEAN, member countries, ASEAN Statistics, ASEAN Summits etc. including information and linkages with previous ASEAN ministerial meetings. If you attempt to find ASEAN’s clear intervention towards Burma’s democratic agenda and resolution concerning freedom of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, you have to do a little hard work of searching different web pages? Fortunately for you, after clicking ‘Peace and Security’ web link of the left side panel of the aesansec.org, you will reach to ASEAN’S ‘Politics and Security’ section and its link with ‘Political Statement’ segment concerning organization’s official statements regarding member nations of ASEAN including Burma and other issues like – Human Rights, Cambodia, East Timor, Southern Africa etc. After reaching ‘Myanmar / Burma segment’ concerning ASEAN’s official political statements about the golden land, you will get excerpts of ONLY two joint communiqué of the ASEAN Ministerial meeting (AMM) – the 37th ASEAN ministerial meeting held at Jakarta from 29-30, June 2004 and 36th ASEAN ministerial meeting organized at Phnom Penh, 16-17, June 2003. Please don’t feel very elated of catching ASEAN on Burma’s democratic agenda and sense of ‘Eureka’, because after clicking joint communiqué of 37th ASEAN ministerial meeting, you will get a very lovely message, which happens by accessing – unauthorized access of government defense sites – “Page Can not be found”! (#)
The 37th ASEAN Ministerial meeting had been also important for welcoming the signing of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region and believed that the Declaration would further strengthen regional cooperation, collaboration and coordination for the purpose of eliminating violence against women in the region, either individually or collectively apart from adopting proposal seeking freedom of political prisoners in Burma.
It is not a surprising thing of not finding the 37th AMM joint communiqué concerning Burma’s democratization on ASEAN Secretariat official web site. I can well remember that, some years back when I contacted a senior ASEAN official (Now holds a very key position in the ASEAN Secretariat and for his position I can’t disclose his name) about his reaction and resource material available on Burma’s Democratic movement in ASEAN Library at Jakarta. He replied that, ‘Burma’s democratic issue is very sensitive matter; you can talk about business-economic cooperation but not about democracy in Burma and ASEAN library unpublished documents are only accessible to officials. Although he/she encouraged me to become part of the official delegation and helping me but I replied that, I’m a commoner and not a high ranking official of my country.
Although fortunately for you, by clicking 36th joint communiqué of ASEAN ministerial meeting, you get a sigh of relief and obtain precious official political statement of the organization concerning Burma still locked in the historical time frame of UN envoy Razali Ismail days and I quote, “We discussed the recent political developments in Myanmar, particularly the incident of 30 May 2003. We noted the efforts of the Government of Myanmar to promote peace and development. In this connection, we urged Myanmar to resume its efforts of national reconciliation and dialogue among all parties concerned leading to a peaceful transition to democracy. We welcomed the assurances given by Myanmar that the measures taken following the incident were temporary and looked forward to the early lifting of restrictions placed on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD members. We also reaffirmed our continued support for the efforts of the UNSG Special Representative Tan Sri Razali Ismail”, unquote. Whether Daw Suu Kyi’s restriction lifted or assurances given to ASEAN by Burma’s military regime regarding NLD members had been temporary in nature are well known facts to the world community?
Moreover, it was not only in 36th and 37th ASEAN Ministerial (AMM) meeting, the ASEAN discussed and passed the joint communiqué for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma including dialogue with all parties concerned. From the 36th AMM to 41st AMM held in Singapore, it had been a routine course for ASEAN Ministerial meeting to make a humble appeal to the Burma’s ruling military junta for the release of Daw Suu Kyi and other political prisoners without any significant results.
In its last, 41st AMM held at Singapore on 21st July 2008; having a theme of – “One ASEAN at the Heart of Dynamic Asia”, ASEAN recognized Junta’s sham constitution referendum process negating its own earlier passed joint communiqué of appeal to first release all the political prisoners and start a dialogue process for the national reconciliation. As the 41st AMM states – “We took note of the briefing by Myanmar on the recent developments in the process of national reconciliation and its peaceful transition to democracy, as envisaged in the roadmap to democracy; in particular, the adoption of the State Constitution of 2008 by referendum. We urged Myanmar to take bolder steps towards a peaceful transition to democracy in the near future, and working towards the holding of free and fair General Elections in 2010. While recognizing the steps undertaken by the Government of Myanmar to conduct meetings with all concerned parties, including the NLD leadership, we reiterated our calls for the release of all political detainees, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to pave the way for meaningful dialogue involving all parties concerned.” It further states and I quote, “We recognized the fact that Myanmar has tried to address many and complex challenges. We reaffirmed our commitment to remain constructively engaged with Myanmar as part of building the ASEAN Community. We encouraged Myanmar to continue to work closely with the Good Offices of the UN Secretary-General and his Special Advisor Ibrahim Gambari in ensuring an inclusive process towards national reconciliation. In this regard, we welcomed Myanmar’s agreement to the upcoming visits of Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar in August 2008, and Professor Ibrahim Gambari in August 2008, and reiterated our call for Myanmar to extend its full support for their missions,” unquote.
Even in a recently concluded 14th ASEAN Summit held at Cha-am/Hua Hin (Thailand), from 28 February to 1st March 2009, the Host Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand spoke in his press briefings that, “The ASEAN leaders encouraged Myanmar to continue cooperation with the United Nations and to make sure that the roadmap continues according to plan, and that the process would be as inclusive as possible, which includes, of course, the continuation of the release of prisoners or political detainees and also the participation of political parties in the upcoming election.” (1) The statement given by Thai Prime Minister in 14th ASEAN Summit had been coherent with the 41st AMM resolution recognizing Junta’s sham referendum and their roadmap of democracy without achieving first the task of release of political prisoners in Burma including Daw Suu Kyi as passed in the earlier ASEAN Ministerial Meetings and many other UN resolutions.
Although interestingly, the host Thai Prime Minister – Abhisit Vejjajiva’s opening ceremony speech at 14th ASEAN Summit (28 February 2009) talks of making “ASEAN more people-centred as well as protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms as the key feature of ASEAN Community.” It also highlights the historical journey of ASEAN – “From Lam Taen to Cha-am/Hua Hin of last forty two years, which led ASEAN to the fulfillment of one dream, that of ASEAN’s Founding Fathers, and to the beginning of yet another -- that of building and completing a “people-centered”, dynamic and “compassionate” ASEAN Community for all.
In addition, even the ASEAN’s ‘POLITICAL-SECURITY COMMUNITY BLUEPRINT’ adopted on 1st of March 2009 envisages – ‘Promotions of Principles of Democracy’ (Section-A.1.8) and ‘Promotion and Protection of human rights’ (Section – A.1.5). Although, whether ASEAN will be able to become a real ‘people-centered’ and ‘compassionate’ organization concerning Burma has yet to be seen? However unfortunately in reality since the appointment of Mr. Gambari as a special UN envoy on Burma, it has more worked to legitimize the Junta’s roadmap of democracy without achieving the task of freeing political prisoners in Burma.
(Note: The last part of promised post entitled – “John F. Kennedy, J. L. Nehru, Bogyoke Aung San and Daw Suu Kyi: Four Personalities - One Soul (Part-III)”, would appear at later dates as I’m away from my original place of work and not well)
Endnotes:
# the 37th AMM joint communiqué officially states – “We noted the briefing given by Myanmar on the reconvening of its National Convention and the development thereon. We acknowledged the potential of the Convention in paving the way for new constitution and the holding of elections in keeping with it. We recalled and emphasized the continued relevance of the Joint Communiqué of the 36th AMM and the Chairman’s Press Statement of the 9th ASEAN Summit. In this regard, we underlined the need for the involvement of all strata of Myanmar society in the on-going National Convention. We encouraged all concerned parties in Myanmar to continue their efforts to effect a smooth transition to democracy. We recognized the role of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in assisting Myanmar to achieve this goal.”
1. Daniel Schearf, ASEAN Urges Burma to Release Political Prisoners, VOA News, 1st of March 2009.
(The End)
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