Democracy activists urge ASEAN not to allow Myanmar to sign charter

Nov 16, 2007, 8:07 GMT

Manila - Philippine democracy activists on Friday urged the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) not to allow Myanmar to sign a landmark charter that declares adherence to democracy and protection of human rights.

Leaders of the 10-member ASEAN are scheduled to sign the regional bloc's first charter on Tuesday next week during their annual summit in Singapore.

In an open letter to ASEAN leaders, the activists warned that Myanmar's signing of the ASEAN charter will taint the document 'with blood of the Burmese people brutally oppressed by the military junta for decades now.'

'By allowing Myanmar to sign without any redress of the Burmese peoples' sufferings, all the ASEAN nations will violate the tenets of the ASEAN Charter,' the activists belonging to the Free Burma Coalition said in its open letter.

They delivered the letter during a protest rally outside the Singapore Embassy in Manila. Singapore is the current chairman of the ASEAN.

The coalition noted that in its preamble, ASEAN declares that its member states adhere to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

'We therefore appeal to your excellencies to put into action the principles and commitments that the ASEAN members enshrine in the ASEAN Charter,' it said.

'Further, we urged the ASEAN to postpone the signing of the ASEAN Charter by the military junta until the political crisis in Burma is resolved in accordance with international human rights standards,' it added.

'Failing this, it must consider suspending Burma's membership from ASEAN if the (military junta) continues to ignore calls to find a lasting resolution to the crisis in Burma,' it added.

ASEAN members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma).

While the ASEAN Charter does not have provisions for punitive actions against members found to be violating principles and agreements, diplomats noted that the document allows leaders to discuss and agree among themselves on possible steps to take.