Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Bangkok Post
Kasit denies UN putting pressure on grouping
Asean has scrapped a plan to appeal to Burma for the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya says.
Thailand, as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, planned to send a letter to the Burmese government last month asking for a pardon for Mrs Suu Kyi who is under house arrest.
But Mr Kasit said from New York yesterday the appeal was now unnecessary as the United Nations, the US and the European Union had reviewed their policies and there were signs they would engage more with Burma.
The US and EU have long boycotted Burma but plan to offer humanitarian and development aid in a major revision to their approach to the military-ruled country, he said.
Mrs Suu Kyi was sentenced in July to another 18 months under house arrest for violating house arrest rules after an American man swam to her house and stayed two nights there.
Thailand's idea to send the letter failed to win the support of Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Burma and Vietnam because they did not want to interfere in Burma's internal affairs, a Foreign Ministry source said.
Mr Kasit's original plan was to lobby the five Asean members to reverse their position at the meeting of Asean foreign ministers in New York on Saturday.
Mr Kasit denied UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon wanted Asean to take a tougher line on Burma, saying all parties would like Asean to continue to engage with the Burmese military junta.
"I have met Mr Ban many times and he did not ask Asean to take tougher action against Burma," the minister said.
"All parties want Asean to continue engagement with Burma and ask Burma to cooperate with the grouping."
Bangkok-based Burmese pro-democracy activists welcomed the UN secretary-general's call at the weekend for Asean to take a tougher stance on Burma.
Nai Tun Lin, secretary-general of the Burmese Refugee Helping Body, was hopeful a change in Burma would take place in the future with closer cooperation between the UN and Asean.
Than Pe, chairman of the Overseas National Students' Organisation of Burma, said he was still uncertain whether Asean would respond well to Mr Ban's request.
"Asean is not giving as much importance to problems in Burma as it is to economic cooperation in the region," he said.
Thailand, as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, planned to send a letter to the Burmese government last month asking for a pardon for Mrs Suu Kyi who is under house arrest.
But Mr Kasit said from New York yesterday the appeal was now unnecessary as the United Nations, the US and the European Union had reviewed their policies and there were signs they would engage more with Burma.
The US and EU have long boycotted Burma but plan to offer humanitarian and development aid in a major revision to their approach to the military-ruled country, he said.
Mrs Suu Kyi was sentenced in July to another 18 months under house arrest for violating house arrest rules after an American man swam to her house and stayed two nights there.
Thailand's idea to send the letter failed to win the support of Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Burma and Vietnam because they did not want to interfere in Burma's internal affairs, a Foreign Ministry source said.
Mr Kasit's original plan was to lobby the five Asean members to reverse their position at the meeting of Asean foreign ministers in New York on Saturday.
Mr Kasit denied UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon wanted Asean to take a tougher line on Burma, saying all parties would like Asean to continue to engage with the Burmese military junta.
"I have met Mr Ban many times and he did not ask Asean to take tougher action against Burma," the minister said.
"All parties want Asean to continue engagement with Burma and ask Burma to cooperate with the grouping."
Bangkok-based Burmese pro-democracy activists welcomed the UN secretary-general's call at the weekend for Asean to take a tougher stance on Burma.
Nai Tun Lin, secretary-general of the Burmese Refugee Helping Body, was hopeful a change in Burma would take place in the future with closer cooperation between the UN and Asean.
Than Pe, chairman of the Overseas National Students' Organisation of Burma, said he was still uncertain whether Asean would respond well to Mr Ban's request.
"Asean is not giving as much importance to problems in Burma as it is to economic cooperation in the region," he said.
3 comments:
Cambodia can never interfere the internal affairs of Burma because Cambodia and Burma are ruled by the dictators who have oppressed their people in the same way. How can a fool advise a fool?
Why would Cambodia interfere with Burma? Burma is a good friend of Cambodia opposing the Thai thieves.
bullshit! didn't asean have the policy of no interfering with member's internal affairs? it has nothing to do with cambodia as some call it dictator state or whatever. it's their problem, not cambodia. plus, cambodia have many problems of our own and don't need other country's problem, really! let other countries in the world deal with that!
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