BURMA: Malaysia Fires ASEAN Volley at Junta

By Marwaan Macan-Markar Reprint | | Print |

Marwaan Macan-Markar

BANGKOK, Jul 24 2006 (IPS) - Gratifying political theatre it may not be, but if the sound of anger pouring forth from Malaysia is a sign of what lies in store at a regional meeting this week, then the Burmese military regime can expect an unprecedented barrage of verbal bullets.

A showdown between the Malaysian government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi and the Burmese dictatorship led by senior Gen. Than Shwe is expected to dominate the meeting of foreign ministers from the ten-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is reflected in the harsh language from Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, ahead of the annual meet being held, this year, in Kuala Lumpur.

A speech delivered to a caucus of parliamentarians from ASEAN – which includes Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – mirrors the frustration among the major regional players, of which Malaysia is one, over Rangoon’s reluctance towards political reform and contempt, on some occasions, towards this bloc.

”There is a general feeling among ASEAN members that the maximum benefit to be gained by ASEAN through its cooperation with some of its dialogue partners is being held hostage by Myanmar,” Syed Hamid was reported to have told the ASEAN parliamentarians in his reference to Burma, which the junta has renamed Myanmar. ”ASEAN has now reached a stage where it is not possible to defend a member when that member is not making any attempt to cooperate or help itself.”

In ASEAN’s tradition, the host country often sets the tone of the meeting and what should be the pressing concerns ahead of the doors opening. The foreign ministers’ meeting, followed by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which brings together ASEAN dialogue partners such as the United States and the European Union, runs from Jul. 25-28. Rangoon’s junta is to be condemned for its oppressive rule by U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice during the ARF.

”ASEAN is losing face because of the Burmese regime’s intransigence,” Saan Aung, a parliamentarian of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, the elected government forced into exile by the military, told IPS. ”It has realised the high cost to the region because of Burma’s refusal to reform and cannot continue as before.”

Such critical language on Burma, which has been under military dictatorships since a 1962 coup, points to a new direction of this group as it approaches its 40th anniversary next year. It suggests a turn from what this bloc is famously known for: shying away from political controversy and refusing to hurt fellow members due to its principle of non-interference. Signs of this shift emerged in 2005 when Rangoon was pressured by ASEAN to give up its turn to become the chairman of the bloc later this year.

Burma’s position as a regional pariah stems from the junta making little progress on the pledge towards political reform including drafting a new constitution and the continued house arrest of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. And then there was the dismissive manner in which Rangoon has treated officials from the region, including Syed Hamid when he paid a visit in late March.

To some, the growing list of oppressive measures pursued by Rangoon has seen Burma regress politically since it was admitted as an ASEAN member in 1997. ”The junta needs to be reprimanded for this slide backwards. What we need this time is for a consensus by the foreign ministers to condemn Burma,” Teresa Kok, Malaysian parliamentarian for the opposition Democratic Action Party, said over phone from Kuala Lumpur.

That Malaysia is taking the lead to name and shame Burma is being welcomed by other observers in the region, given the role Kuala Lumpur has played over the past nine years to protect the junta as an ASEAN member. This diplomatic ring to shield Rangoon from outside criticism, was part of the ”constructive engagement” policy of ASEAN. It was the former Malaysian prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, who paved the way for Burma’s admission into the bloc.

Yet, the bonds that took root in 1997 began to fray by mid-2003, soon after the Nobel Prize laureate Suu Kyi and her supporters were attacked by thugs linked to the junta and she was forced into another period of house arrest. The international condemnation that followed, together with criticism for ASEAN’s inability to influence change in Burma, saw Mahathir crack a verbal whip on the generals. In July that year, he described Burma as an embarrassment to ASEAN and said it could be expelled from the bloc.

”Malaysia has a moral obligation to change things because it was responsible for bringing Burma into ASEAN,” Debbie Stothard of the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN), a regional human rights watchdog, told IPS. ”The current language from Malaysia hints that ASEAN finally wants to grow up and place pressure on members like Burma.”

The political test ASEAN faces with Burma is also being seen as a pointer to what this bloc has in mind following a decision made in December, last year, to approve the drafting of an ASEAN charter. The planned charter held out hope to the region’s 530 million people that it would promote democracy, democratic institutions, human rights, transparency and good governance, unlike the group’s stated intentions till now, which are advancing economics, trade and development in the region.

”If we are witnessing a makeover by ASEAN, one hopes it will stick,” said Stothard. ”All the ASEAN members should join Malaysia, who is playing the role of the bad cop here, in issuing an ultimatum to Burma.”