The Nation
Representatives from Asean's civil society walked out in protest of Friday's informal meeting with the government leaders after their colleagues were not allowed to attend.
The "interface" meeting continued as planned around noon at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Phetchaburi's Cha-am district. The Asean leaders met with the civil society people approved by the authorities.
Asean People Forum activists from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Singapore were not allowed to attend the meeting with the government leaders. One of them said they were not given any reasons for being rejected.
"This is really disappointing ... completely contradictory to what they say and do," said Khin Ohmar from Burma, one of the five from the people's forum who were not allowed to attend the meeting.
She said if the governments do not want this kind of engagement with the civil society, they should not have signed and ratified the Asean Charter in the first place. The charter, effective from last December, promotes more civil society participation in the people-oriented regional community.
The "interface" meeting continued as planned around noon at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Phetchaburi's Cha-am district. The Asean leaders met with the civil society people approved by the authorities.
Asean People Forum activists from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Singapore were not allowed to attend the meeting with the government leaders. One of them said they were not given any reasons for being rejected.
"This is really disappointing ... completely contradictory to what they say and do," said Khin Ohmar from Burma, one of the five from the people's forum who were not allowed to attend the meeting.
She said if the governments do not want this kind of engagement with the civil society, they should not have signed and ratified the Asean Charter in the first place. The charter, effective from last December, promotes more civil society participation in the people-oriented regional community.
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