Myanmar Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, left, is escorted by Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo, right, upon his arrival at Singapore's Changi Airport Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. Thein Sein is in Singapore to attend the 13th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. (AP Photo/Tim Chong, Pool)By JIM GOMEZ
SINGAPORE (AP) — The Philippines warned Monday it is unlikely to ratify a landmark Southeast Asian charter on financial, trade and environmental rules for its members unless Myanmar restores democracy.
The unexpected ultimatum by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a clear sign that Myanmar will continue to hamper progress by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Association, which touts the charter as a testament to its growing integration.
A U.S. envoy cautioned earlier that continuing accommodation of Myanmar would prevent expansion of U.S. free trade with the ASEAN bloc, and European officials said they wanted to see more pressure on the junta from its neighbors and fellow bloc members.
The new ASEAN charter would set up enforceable rules for its members, but will fail if one country fails to ratify it. The pact would set up a regional human rights body that critics have labeled toothless because it will not be able to punish governments found to violate citizens' rights.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, crushed peaceful demonstrations in September, killing at least 15 people, and has kept pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
"The expectation of the Philippines is that if Myanmar signs the charter, it is committed to returning to the path of democracy and releasing Aung San Suu Kyi," Arroyo told Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, Myanmar's prime minister, during a one-on-one meeting in Singapore. "Until the Philippine Congress sees that happen, it would have extreme difficulty in ratifying the ... charter."
A copy of her remarks was given to reporters, and she repeated the comments at a dinner of ASEAN leaders, who are set to sign the charter Tuesday.
Negotiators have watered down the human rights component of the charter by dropping earlier recommendations to consider sanctions, including possible expulsion, in cases of serious breaches of the covenant by member nations.
Thein Sein crossed the luxury hotel where the summit is being held surrounded by security personnel and ignoring reporters' questions about the charter. His bodyguards pushed some reporters and photographers who approached him.
"We have a very good charter. I think everybody should be happy. It's quite balanced," senior Myanmar diplomat U Aung Bwa said in an earlier interview.
He added that he didn't believe Myanmar's internal problems should be the subject of intense scrutiny at the summit.
The top U.S. trade official warned ASEAN, however, that its lack of action against Myanmar's junta jeopardized progress on expanding a trade and investment pact signed last year with the United States, the region's top trading partner.
ASEAN "has a special responsibility when it comes to the situation in Burma," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said after a meeting with ASEAN economic ministers. "The reputation and credibility of ASEAN as an organization has been called into question because of the situation in Burma. ... It just can't be business as usual."
She said the U.S. was open to expanding trade ties with individual members.
ASEAN said Sunday that Myanmar is like a troubled child who must be disciplined by its family using dialogue, and rejected the U.S. Senate's call to suspend the military-ruled country.
Fueling criticism from the West, summit host Singapore called off a briefing by Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. envoy to Myanmar who has been pushing the junta to ease its crackdown.
Singapore had invited Gambari to deliver an address Wednesday to the East Asian Summit, which brings ASEAN together with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
But Myanmar objected to Gambari reporting on the progress he has made, and ASEAN members besides Singapore backed the junta, a senior Malaysian official told journalists. Indonesia also said the invitation to Gambari was unacceptable.
European Union leaders, who were set to meet Thursday with their ASEAN counterparts in Singapore, said they wanted the Asian bloc "to use every opportunity ... to maintain the pressure for a credible and inclusive process of national reconciliation" in Myanmar.
At a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, EU foreign ministers gave final approval to bans on imports of timber, gemstones and precious metals from Myanmar and left the door open to further sanctions including a ban on junta members using Europe-based banks.
The new sanctions follow an arms embargo, a travel ban on Myanmar officials and a freeze of their assets in Europe.
The EU ministers said European leaders would use the summit to push ASEAN to do more to sway Myanmar to end its crackdown on pro-democracy groups.
ASEAN was founded during the Cold War years as an anti-communist coalition, eventually evolving into a trade and political bloc. It consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Associated Press reporter Eileen Ng and Vijay Joshi in Singapore and Constant Brand in Brussels contributed to this report.
The unexpected ultimatum by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a clear sign that Myanmar will continue to hamper progress by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Association, which touts the charter as a testament to its growing integration.
A U.S. envoy cautioned earlier that continuing accommodation of Myanmar would prevent expansion of U.S. free trade with the ASEAN bloc, and European officials said they wanted to see more pressure on the junta from its neighbors and fellow bloc members.
The new ASEAN charter would set up enforceable rules for its members, but will fail if one country fails to ratify it. The pact would set up a regional human rights body that critics have labeled toothless because it will not be able to punish governments found to violate citizens' rights.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, crushed peaceful demonstrations in September, killing at least 15 people, and has kept pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
"The expectation of the Philippines is that if Myanmar signs the charter, it is committed to returning to the path of democracy and releasing Aung San Suu Kyi," Arroyo told Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, Myanmar's prime minister, during a one-on-one meeting in Singapore. "Until the Philippine Congress sees that happen, it would have extreme difficulty in ratifying the ... charter."
A copy of her remarks was given to reporters, and she repeated the comments at a dinner of ASEAN leaders, who are set to sign the charter Tuesday.
Negotiators have watered down the human rights component of the charter by dropping earlier recommendations to consider sanctions, including possible expulsion, in cases of serious breaches of the covenant by member nations.
Thein Sein crossed the luxury hotel where the summit is being held surrounded by security personnel and ignoring reporters' questions about the charter. His bodyguards pushed some reporters and photographers who approached him.
"We have a very good charter. I think everybody should be happy. It's quite balanced," senior Myanmar diplomat U Aung Bwa said in an earlier interview.
He added that he didn't believe Myanmar's internal problems should be the subject of intense scrutiny at the summit.
The top U.S. trade official warned ASEAN, however, that its lack of action against Myanmar's junta jeopardized progress on expanding a trade and investment pact signed last year with the United States, the region's top trading partner.
ASEAN "has a special responsibility when it comes to the situation in Burma," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said after a meeting with ASEAN economic ministers. "The reputation and credibility of ASEAN as an organization has been called into question because of the situation in Burma. ... It just can't be business as usual."
She said the U.S. was open to expanding trade ties with individual members.
ASEAN said Sunday that Myanmar is like a troubled child who must be disciplined by its family using dialogue, and rejected the U.S. Senate's call to suspend the military-ruled country.
Fueling criticism from the West, summit host Singapore called off a briefing by Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. envoy to Myanmar who has been pushing the junta to ease its crackdown.
Singapore had invited Gambari to deliver an address Wednesday to the East Asian Summit, which brings ASEAN together with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
But Myanmar objected to Gambari reporting on the progress he has made, and ASEAN members besides Singapore backed the junta, a senior Malaysian official told journalists. Indonesia also said the invitation to Gambari was unacceptable.
European Union leaders, who were set to meet Thursday with their ASEAN counterparts in Singapore, said they wanted the Asian bloc "to use every opportunity ... to maintain the pressure for a credible and inclusive process of national reconciliation" in Myanmar.
At a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, EU foreign ministers gave final approval to bans on imports of timber, gemstones and precious metals from Myanmar and left the door open to further sanctions including a ban on junta members using Europe-based banks.
The new sanctions follow an arms embargo, a travel ban on Myanmar officials and a freeze of their assets in Europe.
The EU ministers said European leaders would use the summit to push ASEAN to do more to sway Myanmar to end its crackdown on pro-democracy groups.
ASEAN was founded during the Cold War years as an anti-communist coalition, eventually evolving into a trade and political bloc. It consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Associated Press reporter Eileen Ng and Vijay Joshi in Singapore and Constant Brand in Brussels contributed to this report.
2 comments:
One story for thought:
I hate when you pressure me to do this thing and get out of my face but wait take me to the shopping Mall first.
No, they (Philippine) won't block anything because that will not benefit the Philippine.
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