ASEAN Governments should conduct a serious review of the ASEAN “constructive engagement” policy towards the Myanmese military junta to ensure that ASEAN does not become the apologist for the anti-democracy crackdown in Myanmar.
Philippines President Ramos had said that there was still a consensus among Asean foreign ministers that ASEAN should eventually admit Burma if it makes progress on trade and political reforms, but ASEAN might review its policy.
The crucial question all ASEAN leaders must ask is whether there have been political reforms and democratisation, or the reverse, in Myanmar the past several months.
Although ASEAN's policy of constructive engagement toward Myanmar calls for quiet persuasion rather than confrontation to bring about democratic reforms, the time has come for ASEAN goverments to consider whether the ASEAN “constructive engagement” is a failure and should be abandoned when pro-democracy crackdowns is the order of the day in Myanmar.
The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said yesterday that the decision of Yangon’s admission into ASEAN should be based on consensus among member countries and not on the view of the majority.
In view of the repeated pro-democracy crackdowns by SLORC since May this year, the Myanmese military junta should be told that there was no chance whatsoever for its early entry into ASEAN.
In fact, the ASEAN Senior Officials meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 18 and 19 should take the important step of recommending that Myanmar’s observer status in ASEAN be revoked until the SLORC is prepared to show substantive progress in political reforms and democratisation.
(4/10/96)