The not-so-democratic regimes of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam must be worried ... Myanmar starts to march to a different beat

YEARENDER: Myanmar starts to march to a different beat

YANGON, Dec 11, 2011
DPA

The not-so-democratic regimes of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam must be worried.

Myanmar has started to shed its regional status as everyone's favourite whipping boy for human rights abuses and undemocratic rule this year, as the government elected in 2010 started to make some changes.

There is still far to go for the former pariah state, but human rights and pro-democracy groups may need to refocus their campaigns on less obvious targets next year, which is bad news for the region's more modest offenders.

Against all expectations, the pro-military government that won last year's general election has pushed through both political and economic reforms, maybe minor ones by international standards but massive by Myanmar's.

Cambodia to host a series of regional summit meetings [-incl. 2 attended by SE Asia's dictators]

November 08, 2010
Xinhua

Cambodia will host a series of summit meetings next week for regional leaders, according to a statement released Monday by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The statement said Cambodia will host the 6th Cambodia-Laos- Vietnam (CLV) Summit, the 5th Cambodia-Laos, Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit and the 4th Ayeyawady-Chao Praya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit on November 16-17, 2010 in Phnom Penh.

The summits will be attended by Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of CLMV and ACMECS countries which include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will also participate in the event.

According to the statement, the prime ministers and ASEAN Secretary General will be received in a Royal Audience by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni in the Royal Palace.

All the summits will be chaired by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen who is also the host of the event.

The summits will review the progress and set out the future direction for CLV, CLMV and ACMECS in all priority areas of cooperation, with a view to further advance these frameworks of cooperation for sustainable development and prosperity in this sub-region.

Authoritarian [ASEAN] members, like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, have refused to engage in stinging criticism of Myanmar

Philippines asks Myanmar to release Suu Kyi by ASEAN anniversary

Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines: The Philippines appealed Thursday for Myanmar to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by November, when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations marks its founding anniversary.

"That's a very important milestone," Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said.

Romulo said he would convey his appeal to his Myanmar counterpart, Nyan Win, who is to join an annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers Monday.

Myanmar's spotty human rights record has been raised at every major ASEAN meeting, but Romulo said there was no other option but to be patient.

"It's not easy to be waiting all the time, but we must keep our hopes and optimism," he told a news conference. "We should never get weary."

Myanmar ignored international calls not to extend the house arrest of Suu Kyi earlier this year, provoking new criticism, including from ASEAN.

ASEAN's 10 foreign ministers are to discuss Myanmar's efforts to democratize, according to a draft joint ministerial statement, which reserved a paragraph for the situation in the military-ruled nation.

Southeast Asian countries were hoping Myanmar would also complete a constitution it has been drafting for years by the time ASEAN leaders hold their annual summit in Singapore in November.

Myanmar's junta has said that drafting a constitution is the first of seven steps in a so-called roadmap to democracy that will culminate in free elections.

Critics say the process is a sham because it does not involve democracy activists such as Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, who has been in prison or under house arrest for more than 12 of the past 18 years.

Although bound by an ASEAN edict not to interfere in each other's affairs, some members, like Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, have become more blunt in their criticism, urging Myanmar to show tangible progress toward democratization.

Authoritarian members, like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, have refused to engage in stinging criticism of Myanmar.

Myanmar's ruling generals took power in 1988. They called elections in 1990, but refused to recognize the results when Suu Kyi's party won a resounding victory.

Myanmar should have held ASEAN's rotating chairmanship and hosted the regional summit last year, but it gave up the chance amid protests by Western governments. The chairmanship, rotated alphabetically, was abruptly passed on to the Philippines.

Singapore takes over the chairmanship next week.