ASEAN Pressures Burma:  "Rhetoric" or "Reality"

Nevertheless it is a self evident of positive response to the pressure from West

  In the last week, whilst the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair engages in sorting out the European Union budget under UK presidency of EU, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Chairman of the 11th ASEAN Summit and the Prime Minister of Malaysia use the summit to call for the military junta of Burma to release it's political prisoners and expedite the democratisation processes.

 "We noted the increased interest of the international community on developments in Myanmar.  In this context, we took note of the briefing by Myanmar on the latest developments in the implementation of its Roadmap to Democracy.  We encouraged Myanmar to expedite the process and welcomed the invitation by Myanmar to the Foreign Minister of Malaysia in his capacity as Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee to visit Myanmar to learn first-hand of the progress.  We also called for the release of those placed under detention " states in the Chairman's statement.

 No doubt, journalists covering the 11 ASEAN Summit say the direct wording unusually showed Asean's members were no longer hiding frustration at Burma.  The statement seems to be carefully worded in order to avoid embarrassing the junta.  Not obsessively over reading between the lines of the statement, the international "concerns" is substituted with "international community interest" as UN Security Council plans to discuss Burma's crisis and obviously "political prisoners" including Aung San Suu Kyi is replaces with "those placed under detention".

 Hopefully, the Malaysian prime minister Abdullah, who is also know with his nickname in Malay's circle as "Pak Lah" (means uncle in Malay) is not teaching Than Shew the military junta of Burma some dirty tricks of stage craft politics.  Uncle Abdullah's mentor Mahathir is well trained in playing in dirty politics of getting successfully elected for eternity by his party the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).  Uncle Abdullah may have been a bureaucrat by career all his life but he did manage to release his imprisoned ex colleague Anwar Ibrahim.  Anwar, the Aung San Suu Kyi of Malaysia imprisoned as his popularity rose within UMNO and the country and hence threatened Mahathir's power position.

 Asean also requires to improve it's image in the international regionalism political arena as the most of it's members states are run by "roughs" or less transparent governments.  Burma as a member country can be used as a most cost effective way of dressing up the institution's profile as organisation of responsible member states.  Malaysia and Thailand are keen to push for a closer co-operation between Asean and China with worst human rights record.  Over the weekend the Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thai-love-Thai party also jumped on the bandwagon of Burma by offering to host the failed Road Map to Democracy process meeting in Bangkok.  Thaksin also need to improve his image in the West for his sins of turning his country into a "police state".  The ex-police lieutenant Thaksin Shinawatra is criticised at home for curbing the media freedom and his heavy- handed approach in dealing with Islamic extremism.  Thaksin is also accused by his critic for over-extending country's trade relations with China.  Thaksin may be in the mission to change Thai-love-Thai party to Thai-love-China party. 

 Looking more closely to Burma, the fear mounts on Burmese democracy activists within a past few days as the junta desperately pushes to improve it's international image by a stage craft the democratisation process, reconvening the National Convention without Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD the party which won majority seats in the multiparty democracy election.  The Asean's involvement in Burma is significant for Burmese military junta in terms of gaining legitimacy in the international political arena.  It would be a grate seal of approval in fending off the UN Security Council's criticism and demand for UN monitoring process.  The last thing the junta wants is the "blue" beret UN Peace Keeping force in Burma.  The Blue Beret would seriously undermine the legitimacy of junta's green beret with rifle piston in the firing position.

 In a desperate attempt to legitimise it's power in the international circle, the junta can use the rubber stamp National Convention to call for and election and use dirty tricks of UMNO party of Malaysia to get the United Solidarity Development Association elected with corrupt coalition from various groups.  The Asean monitoring team lead by the Malaysian foreign minister is yet to be seen as transparent in their investigating of "democratic process" in Burma.  The big question is Syed Hamid Albar allegedly corruptible as Razali Ismail, Malaysian UN envoy to Burma whose IT company gained contract for micro-chip Burmese passports.

 The Asean's subtle pressure and demand on the Burmese junta came days after the Amnesty International's human rights report on Burma.  The Burmese democracy campaigners around the world can cautiously have a cause to celebrate the fruits for their lobbying activities.  No matter how subtle the demand is the Asean seem to have began their grip on Burma.  The international pressure does appear to work in getting some positive response from the junta and their friends in the neighbouring countries.  The pressure upon junta is looming as UN Security Council prepares to discuss the crisis in Burma.  Uncle Abdullah the Malaysian Prime Minster and Chair of ASEAN should be a good uncle to the people of Burma rather the junta.  Nevertheless, Military junta of Burma does listen to the international pressure no matter how much it tries to buy support from anti-sanction camps of the democracy movement.  A gong goes for the sanction and pressure groups on the military junta and let us hope the Fourth Wing Conference on Democracy in Burma will produce substantive approach to fight the fascist military dictator of Burma. 

Ko Sa La

WWW http://www.tayzathuria.org.uk/

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