Teresa Kok

Dear friends,

Together with Burmese activists around the world, I am so surprised and so happy to read that two days ago the UN Security Council has put Burma on its agenda. The Burmese exiled government and activists around the world have lobbied for this over many years.

I was in Phnom Penh last month for the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) meeting and I met with Hun Sen, the Cambodian PM.

I’ve wanted to blog on this earlier but was unable to until now.

The following is my take on the events. (more…)

Thursday May 4, 2:43 PM
<strong>Malaysia warns Myanmar against move on opposition</strong>

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia warned Myanmar’s junta on Thursday that the credibility of its “roadmap to democracy” would be at risk if it banned the opposition party of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar’s military rulers have threatened to ban the National League for Democracy (NLD), accusing it of links to “expatriate groups, terrorists and destructive groups” that they blame for attacks on the former Burma.

“Any action they take, like closing down NLD, or not releasing Aung San Suu Kyi, these are all impediments and obstacles to creating visible signs of credibility in terms of the movement towards democracy,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

“Even though we do not want to interfere in their affairs, they are not helping us in creating the necessary confidence in the international community,” said Syed Hamid, who visited Myanmar in March as an envoy of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The NLD won elections in 1990 but was denied power by the junta, and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has spent about 10 of the past 15 years in some form of detention.

ASEAN, a 10-nation group known for its emphasis on consensus, has shown rare displeasure in recent years with foot-dragging on reforms by Myanmar, which has been ruled by the military in various guises for more than 40 years.

At a meeting in Bali last month, ASEAN foreign ministers made their views known to Myanmar about its lack of progress towards democracy.

Syed Hamid reiterated that ASEAN would like to see Myanmar making visible changes although it would not resort to pressure.

“We will keep on prompting them to listen to the views of ASEAN at least,” he added.

Myanmar has proposed a seven-step “roadmap to democracy” and the junta says step one, drafting a new constitution, is under way.

But its ASEAN neighbours think the process has been too slow and sent Syed Hamid to meet the country’s rulers in March. But the Malaysian minister said his fact-finding mission was incomplete because he had been unable to meet Suu Kyi.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said last week he expected to visit Myanmar next month for talks with its leaders and hoped to meet Suu Kyi. Manila takes over the chairmanship of ASEAN from Malaysia in July.

ASEAN FMs huddle for retreat as Myanmar question still looms

ASEAN foreign ministers are meeting for their annual informal retreat amid increasing unease over recalcitrant member Myanmar’s refusal to produce evidence of democratic reform.

Ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) arriving on the resort island of Bali ahead of the talks, as well as the bloc’s chief, expressed frustration with the military-ruled regime.

“There is a certain impatience because the people around the region as well as around the world say, You keep talking, you keep going there—and then what happened?” secretary-general Ong Keng Yong said.

“People want to see some concrete steps forward.”

The ministers held a working dinner Wednesday during which Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar briefed them over his trip to Yangon, an Indonesian foreign ministry official told AFP.

The official declined however to give details of the Myanmar discussions.

Myanmar agreed at last year’s ASEAN summit to invite Syed Hamid in the face of growing international pressure for evidence of its democratic progress, as well as embarrassment among some members over its 1997 inclusion in the bloc.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Ubud, Syed Hamid said he was “not totally happy” with progress in Myanmar.

“There are still more things to be done,” he said. “Our intention was to engage with everybody. So, since we were not able to, in that respect you can see that,” he said, referring to his failure to meet with Myanmar’s detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ministers appeared meanwhile to agree that regional powerhouses China and India should use their economic clout—considerably mightier than ASEAN’s—to nudge Myanmar towards reform.

“The Myanmar issue is difficult for ASEAN. We must admit that, but we should not see it as solely the burden of ASEAN. There are also major key players that have significant influence: China and India,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told reporters.

“They can help by promoting democracy in Myanmar.”

Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo also said last month that China’s and India’s open policy on Myanmar diluted the impact of Western sanctions.

Ministers were due to lunch with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a press briefing was expected at 0530 GMT.

Myanmar’s junta has spelt out a “road map” for democracy, including talks on a new constitution. But Aung San Suu Kyi’s party has boycotted the process, which critics have called a sham.

Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.

Statement from AIPMC Delegation to the Thai-Burma Border

February 23rd, 2006, Bangkok

We, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) delegation to the Thai Parliament and further to the Thai-Burma border refugee camps, would like to welcome and support the ‘olive branch’ offer from the NLD to the Burmese Military Junta.

In the unprecedented move, the NLD, on 12 Feb 2006, said it will recognize the role of the current military regime, in national politics, if the Generals agree to convene Parliament in accordance with the results of the 1990 elections. (more…)

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus (AIPMC) organised a visit to one of the refugee camps at the Thai-Burma border on Feb 24. The trip was jointly organised by AIPMC and Thai Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.

I initially was very reluctant to go as I have heaps to do in KL, but was persuaded by the executive secretary of AIPMC, Roshan Jason, that I should attend as Lim Kit Siang was unable to go and the delegation needs the presence of women MPs.

At one point this trip was almost cancelled as Thailand was in political crisis and the chairman of the Thai Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Kraisak, was busy trying to oust Prime Minister Thanksin Shinawatra. But Kraisak then decided to go ahead with the plan and personally took us to the border. (more…)

By Santha Oorjitham

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 (Bernama)—It’s time to review Asean’s policy of non-intervention in member countries and constructive engagement with Myanmar, say Asean legislators.

“The coup d’etat last year which replaced then Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt with Lieutenant-General Soe Win, the Nov 27 extension of the confinement of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi for another six months and moving the capital from Yangon to the remote jungle centre of Pyinmana are all indications the military regime in Myanmar is in a state of withdrawal,” Thai senator Jon Ungphakorn told Bernama in a phone interview from Bangkok. (more…)

By Santha Oorjitham

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Bernama)—Asean lawmakers are working hard to get the “Myanmar situation” on the agenda of the 11th Asean Summit here next week.

At the very least, they want the issue to be on the informal agenda when leaders of the 10-member regional grouping gather at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from Dec 12 to 14. (more…)