SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Laos and Cambodia condemned the Western economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar after its brutal crackdown on democracy protests, calling on fellow members of the ASEAN regional bloc to stay out of each other's affairs.
Laos, a poor and landlocked communist state of 6.5 million people, has close political and economic ties with Myanmar. It was the first country Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein visited after his appointment last month.
"We denounce the imposition of sanctions or economic embargoes against Myanmar," Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh told Reuters in an interview on Sunday ahead of an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen also rejected sanctions.
"Economy sanctions are no good. They will not make the leaders of Myanmar die, but will lead to disaster for the civilian population. They are counter-productive," Hun Sen said in reply to questions at a business forum.
Myanmar's junta in September crushed the biggest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20 years, killing at least 15 people. The crackdown brought international condemnation and tougher sanctions from the United States.
The 10-nation Association of ASEAN -- which Myanmar and neighboring Laos joined in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999 -- has come under intense international pressure to get tougher on Myanmar.
"All measures taken to address the situation in Myanmar should be in strict conformity with ASEAN's fundamental principles," Bouphavanh said through a Lao government translator.
"ASEAN should adhere strictly to its fundamental principles of respecting each other's independence and sovereignty."
Asked if his government, like Myanmar, would order the shooting of unarmed protesters if there were pro-democracy riots, Bouphavanh declined to give a direct answer.
"The best way for us is to do everything not to let something like that happen," he said.
When pressed, he added: "I do not think that there is any leader of a given nation who does not love his nation or his people."
On Friday, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to urge ASEAN to suspend Myanmar until the regime shows respect for human rights. ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told Reuters on Saturday that this was unlikely to happen.
ASEAN leaders are set to sign a new charter on Tuesday, as well as a blueprint for an ASEAN Economic Community and a declaration on the environment, but diplomats expect that the ASEAN summit will be dominated by the Myanmar issue.
(Reporting by Daryl Loo and Geert De Clercq; Editing by John Chalmers)
Laos, a poor and landlocked communist state of 6.5 million people, has close political and economic ties with Myanmar. It was the first country Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein visited after his appointment last month.
"We denounce the imposition of sanctions or economic embargoes against Myanmar," Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh told Reuters in an interview on Sunday ahead of an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen also rejected sanctions.
"Economy sanctions are no good. They will not make the leaders of Myanmar die, but will lead to disaster for the civilian population. They are counter-productive," Hun Sen said in reply to questions at a business forum.
Myanmar's junta in September crushed the biggest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20 years, killing at least 15 people. The crackdown brought international condemnation and tougher sanctions from the United States.
The 10-nation Association of ASEAN -- which Myanmar and neighboring Laos joined in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999 -- has come under intense international pressure to get tougher on Myanmar.
"All measures taken to address the situation in Myanmar should be in strict conformity with ASEAN's fundamental principles," Bouphavanh said through a Lao government translator.
"ASEAN should adhere strictly to its fundamental principles of respecting each other's independence and sovereignty."
Asked if his government, like Myanmar, would order the shooting of unarmed protesters if there were pro-democracy riots, Bouphavanh declined to give a direct answer.
"The best way for us is to do everything not to let something like that happen," he said.
When pressed, he added: "I do not think that there is any leader of a given nation who does not love his nation or his people."
On Friday, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to urge ASEAN to suspend Myanmar until the regime shows respect for human rights. ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told Reuters on Saturday that this was unlikely to happen.
ASEAN leaders are set to sign a new charter on Tuesday, as well as a blueprint for an ASEAN Economic Community and a declaration on the environment, but diplomats expect that the ASEAN summit will be dominated by the Myanmar issue.
(Reporting by Daryl Loo and Geert De Clercq; Editing by John Chalmers)
9 comments:
Devil people always back each others up,like viet slaves they do that for their master?
If the western make economic sanctions against Byanmar regime, it will lead to disaster for the civilian population but not the regime overthere. So it means that, if the economic sanctions was made against Cambodia, it will lead to disaster for the civilian population, but not Cambodian Govt/regime. It`s the logigic answer.
Chey Yoh, Mekongers!
Chey Yoh, Lao!
Chey Yoh, Khmer!
We all must stick together, no matter what!
It is true, economic sanction usually has no effect on the dictatorial regime power but clearly affects on daily life of people in the regime. On the other hand, economic sanction shows a strong discontent of the democratic countries against the undemocratic regime. If Cambodia and Laos are real democratic countries, they will have great sympathy with the pro-democratic movement in Myanma and will condemn the Myanma military regime rather than support them. Cambodians, Laos, and Burmese are the people who share a common value of Theraveda Buddhism and ethnic origin of Khmer Mon. Our cultures are similar from language based from Pali and Sanskrit, food taboo, dresses, dances, and even our faces and characters. We always confuse to identify who is Laos, Khmer, or Burmese when we see each other on the streets in the US or Europe. As we have common culture and heritage with them, we always feel pitiful on them when they are facing tragic insidents or persecution. Thus, our government and Laos should show more sympathy to Murmese people who are persecuted by their evil leaders, not to encourage those evil leaders to commit more criminal acts against their own people.
10:16, we (khmers) and our brothers Laos and Burmese are more democracy than any nation in the region. We all served the wills of our people, and that is no one care about democracy. All we wanted is to work to feed our family. So stop dragging our people to wherever you want us to be, as did Sarimatak and Pol Pot, alright? That is not democracy. Furthermore, the fake democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi is really just another commie. The whole clan is ran by family and friend. Go check out the name of the party leader in the picture in the article below entitled "US Senate asks ASEAN leaders to suspend Myanmar from group", and see if you see any common denominator.
The imposition of economic sactions against the dictatorial regime is the most effective and efficient method in combatting against pandemic corruption, although one might have thought it is draconian. Wrong! Think again.
Cambodia will be next! Only the time will tell.
I cannot believe there is a person like 10:41PM said that "we (khmers) and our brothers Laos and Burmese are more democracy than any nation in the region"
This person must be brainwashed and working as a stupid agent to defend for the Cambodian government and Vietnam.
I saw this SKE YOUN barking all over this forum trying to defend for the inhuman government of Cambodia and Vietnam.
Laos is not a country anymore. Laos is just a big province of Vietnam. All the Laos leaders must have YOUN wife or YOUN disguisted to be Laos just as Hok Lundy who is YOUN disguisted to be Khmer.
Burma is a dictatorship country and running by military leaders. If you go to Burma, you cannot imagine how fearful the people there living under the Junta regime. Only dump ass people think that it is democracy country.
I dont need to talk about Cambodia. Even Cambodia is little bit better than Burma or Laos because Cambodia still have the opposite party to stand up fighting for justice for Cambodian people. But, the opposite party in CAmbodia should not touch the Cambodia government's master, Vietnam. If they do, they will be in big trouble. That is a democracy that Cambodia has. Cambodia even willing to let its master YOUN to send illegal immigrants to vote for CPP and even willing to give away Cambodia's lands. Oneday soon, Cambodia will be like Laos.
The next step that Vietnam needs to do is Thailand. Sofar, Vietnam already embbeded its spies in Thailand. If you go to thailand now, there are thousand and thousands of Vietnam in thailand. So, in the next 10 years, you will be see "Little Saigon" in thailand.
I don't care what you said, 12:51. The bottom like is, it is better for Burma to one dictator than two because that will annihilated our brother (Burmese) for sure.
Correction:
I don't care what you said, 12:51. The bottom like is, it is better for Burma to have one dictator than two because that will annihilated our brother (Burmese) for sure.
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