Activists protest outside the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday.
A UN General Assembly panel on Tuesday passed a resolution strongly condemning
the recent crackdown on anti-government protests by Burma's rulers but the vote was
dismissed by the military-run country's neighbors. [Photo: AFP]
Asean Countries Vote against UN Committee Resolution on Burma
By Wai Moe November 21, 2007
Asean countries are holding fast to their historical habit of ignoring human rights and the struggle for democracy in the region, in spite of the new Asean charter approved this week at the Asean Summit in Singapore.
The United Nations General Assembly’s Committee for Social, Humanitarian and Culture approved a non-binding draft resolution on Tuesday that strongly condemned the human rights violations by the Burmese junta in September. The resolution must now go before the General Assembly for final approval.
The differences between the words expressed by Asean member countries following the bloody crackdown in Burma and the vote at the UN by Asean ambassadors are glaringly different.
Eighty-eight countries voted in favor of the resolution and 24 countries voted against. Sixty-six countries abstained and 14 were absent.
No Asean-member country voted in favor of the resolution.
Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia voted against the resolution. Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand abstained. Cambodia was absent.
China and India voted against.
Moreover, a report by The Associated Press on Wednesday said that confidential recommendations by Asean region diplomats advised Asean to not intervene in domestic human rights problems such as the current situation in Burma, but instead to protect member countries from foreign meddling.
The recommendations were made in a report seen by the AP. It was commissioned by Asean, whose leaders adopted a landmark charter on Tuesday that among other things set up a human rights agency.
Observers say that if the Burma resolution fails when it goes before the UN General Assembly, the secretary-general will have no mandate to act regarding Burma.
Debbie Stothard of ALTSEAN (Alternative Asean Network on Burma) said Asean’s decision this week to allow Burma to sign the new Asean charter was a mistake because there is no governmental body in Burma that represents the people.
“Asean countries are hypocritical," she said. "They voted against or abstained on yesterday's UN General Assembly resolution on Burma. Before, they said they supported the UN. They supported Gambari. Now Asean did a U-turn."
She noted that when the junta objected to a briefing by the UN Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, to Asean heads of state, Asean cancelled the briefing, which means the junta is controlling the regional body.
Critics of Asean’s Human Rights Commission say the body offers protection to violators of human rights rather than protection to citizens from governmental abuse.
Anselmo Lee, the executive director of Forum-Asia, said his organization is very disappointed with Asean’s human rights body.
“Asean cannot do anything for the Burmese people,” he said. “The canceling of the UN envoy Mr Gambari’s briefing is just another disappointment.”
Nyo Ohn Myint, an analyst with Asean-China, said Asean uses a “wait and see” policy on Burma, because member countries do not want to lose their economic ties with Burma.
Meanwhile, Gambari told the press in Singapore on Wednesday that the UN can "make a difference" in Burma where others have failed, if it has the support of East Asia countries and the international community.
“We can make a difference this time,” said Gambari. “It will work. They [Burmese generals] want to work with the UN.”
Asean countries are holding fast to their historical habit of ignoring human rights and the struggle for democracy in the region, in spite of the new Asean charter approved this week at the Asean Summit in Singapore.
The United Nations General Assembly’s Committee for Social, Humanitarian and Culture approved a non-binding draft resolution on Tuesday that strongly condemned the human rights violations by the Burmese junta in September. The resolution must now go before the General Assembly for final approval.
The differences between the words expressed by Asean member countries following the bloody crackdown in Burma and the vote at the UN by Asean ambassadors are glaringly different.
Eighty-eight countries voted in favor of the resolution and 24 countries voted against. Sixty-six countries abstained and 14 were absent.
No Asean-member country voted in favor of the resolution.
Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia voted against the resolution. Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand abstained. Cambodia was absent.
China and India voted against.
Moreover, a report by The Associated Press on Wednesday said that confidential recommendations by Asean region diplomats advised Asean to not intervene in domestic human rights problems such as the current situation in Burma, but instead to protect member countries from foreign meddling.
The recommendations were made in a report seen by the AP. It was commissioned by Asean, whose leaders adopted a landmark charter on Tuesday that among other things set up a human rights agency.
Observers say that if the Burma resolution fails when it goes before the UN General Assembly, the secretary-general will have no mandate to act regarding Burma.
Debbie Stothard of ALTSEAN (Alternative Asean Network on Burma) said Asean’s decision this week to allow Burma to sign the new Asean charter was a mistake because there is no governmental body in Burma that represents the people.
“Asean countries are hypocritical," she said. "They voted against or abstained on yesterday's UN General Assembly resolution on Burma. Before, they said they supported the UN. They supported Gambari. Now Asean did a U-turn."
She noted that when the junta objected to a briefing by the UN Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, to Asean heads of state, Asean cancelled the briefing, which means the junta is controlling the regional body.
Critics of Asean’s Human Rights Commission say the body offers protection to violators of human rights rather than protection to citizens from governmental abuse.
Anselmo Lee, the executive director of Forum-Asia, said his organization is very disappointed with Asean’s human rights body.
“Asean cannot do anything for the Burmese people,” he said. “The canceling of the UN envoy Mr Gambari’s briefing is just another disappointment.”
Nyo Ohn Myint, an analyst with Asean-China, said Asean uses a “wait and see” policy on Burma, because member countries do not want to lose their economic ties with Burma.
Meanwhile, Gambari told the press in Singapore on Wednesday that the UN can "make a difference" in Burma where others have failed, if it has the support of East Asia countries and the international community.
“We can make a difference this time,” said Gambari. “It will work. They [Burmese generals] want to work with the UN.”
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