The extension of the house arrest of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the Myanmese military junta, which will keep her confined to her residence for a fifth straight year, must be condemned in all ASEAN, Asian and world capitals.
Myanmar’s membership in ASEAN must be seriously reviewed as the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi marks the abysmal failure of the 10-year ASEAN experiment to influence the Myanmar military junta to be a responsible member of international community when Myanmar was admitted into ASEAN as a member in 1997 in the teeth of regional and international opposition.
At that time, the rationale was that “constructive engagement” with the Myanmese military junta was the only option for ASEAN nations to influence Yangon and wean it from its ruthless and repressive form of dictatorship as it had proved to be completely impervious to regional and international opinion.
This year 2007 marks the ten-year membership of Myanmar in ASEAN, which is also to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
The blatant defiance of regional and international opinion urging the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who had spent 11 of the past 17 years in detention, despite the unprecedented Open Letter by 59 former heads of state and government including former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, former Presidents in ASEAN like Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Abdurrahman Wahid, Megawati Sukarno is testimony that the Myanmar military junta is not prepared to make any concession to become a responsible member of the international community.
In the circumstances, the other ASEAN nations must seriously consider whether they should continue to allow Myanmar to be a millstone around the neck of ASEAN, bringing disrepute to the regional organization, or whether they should face up seriously to the option to suspend or expel Myanmar from ASEAN.
#1 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 10:49 am
ASEAN must seriously consider taking action against Myanmar for its embarassing acts as it is affecting the grouping’s image and reputation.
Enough is enough. Myanmar is a pariah who is not fit to be in the Group. It continues to ignore the wishes and feelings of the other 9 members. The July ASEAN summit must be decisive and suspend the membership of Myanmar.
The British Commonwealth had in the past, suspended several of its members until they “behaved” in a just manner. These countries included Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Pakistan. ASEAN must act likewise against wayward members who do not comply with international norms and ignores the opinions of fellow members.
Free Aung San Suu Kyi.
#2 by FuturePolitician on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 12:04 pm
Too drastic to expel. If you expel worse would happen, no more official diplomatic ties as a members of ASEAN with Myanmar.
Respect the government of Myanmar of their decision. We can object or make a fuss out of the situation but we never ever impose our wills on them. I really dont like the word “suspend” or “expel”. We should try to negotiate and provide suggestion or solution for the best of the region.
We dont live forever..someone has to go 1st..
#3 by i_love_malaysia on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 1:35 pm
Why only the former heads of state and gov. wrote the open letter after they have no more power to decide whether Myanmar should still be in ASEAN, and not the present ones ? this is clearly due to their own issues or “shits” at home that they could not do so when they were in power. Look at Malaysia & Indonesia, all kinds of injustices happening there. Look at Thailand and Philippines , could not take care of its south problems. For Singapore, others just ignore its stand. The policy of you don’t interfere my internal issues and I don’t interfere yours will continue so that they can continue to be in power, at least they can be king of their own kingdom.
How can a sinner who is still in sin tell the others that they have sin and need to repent? unless you set a high standard and meet them for yourself, how can you tell others that they are wrong and need to repent. How many in ASEAN who have set this standard and meeting this standard??
#4 by i_love_malaysia on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 1:35 pm
123
#5 by i_love_malaysia on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 1:36 pm
I think this blog needs to upgrade else it is not effective and inefficient too. Time to change!
#6 by i_love_malaysia on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 1:37 pm
If people cannot comment fast enough, they will leave this blog!!
#7 by i_love_malaysia on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 1:38 pm
Is there a censorship here,too??? just like gov. ???
#8 by dawsheng on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 2:29 pm
I think the situation they are facing much more complicated than us and I believe is their people’s will and choice that will determine the fate of Aung San Suu Kyi. ASEAN will have to be careful when dealing with Myanmar and the call for Myanmar to be expel from ASEAN must be thoroughly examines, it is not good if we have an Iraq in this region.
#9 by k1980 on Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 5:56 pm
Myanmar is a classic case of America doing the “Wag the Dog” to divert attention from their occupation of Iraq. By highlighting the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, Bush hopes to distract the world in general and the American electorate in particular from the killings in that blighted country.
#10 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Sunday, 27 May 2007 - 5:09 am
Myanmar should be expelled from ASEAN to show that the renegade regime cannot be vested with the legitimacy and respectability shared between civilised countries. This does ot hurt the common people – it will only inflict shame on a pariah government.
Sanctions should be imposed that will hurt the regime, not the common people. Embargo on all forms of aid and military hardware; curbs on smuggling of drugs and other forms of illegal trades that may be funding the pariah regime etc.etc.
Hey, is anybody listening? EU, USA, ASEAN – stop all the coddling nonsense and stop the Burmese GENERALS shit from hitting the ceiling fans or more pariah regimes will start sprouting in different corners of the globe.
#11 by Fort on Sunday, 27 May 2007 - 12:49 pm
Why should the Myanmar military junta free Aung San Suu Kyi?
They are drunk with the power to rule!
Freeing Suu Kyi is as good as giving up their power to rule. Suu Kyi won the election long ago. She is the democratically elected leader of Myanmar.
ASEAN had engaged the junta for far too long!
I don’t think they should be allowed to perpetuate their rule!
What can we do?
#12 by good coolie on Monday, 28 May 2007 - 3:00 pm
Apart from Suu Kyi’s case, we do not hear of any human- rights violations by Myanmar in our newspapers. apart from Suu Kyi’s case. Malaysians have not been informed, well enough, of the suffering of the Burmese people. The truth is the world does not care for the Burmese people; not even for Suu Kyii, a modern day ‘suffering servant’ .
#13 by FuturePolitician on Tuesday, 29 May 2007 - 10:17 am
there are many other news taking headlines of our local newspaper, like rape, accidents, just sad to read them…so i dont buy papers anymore.