ASEAN BLASTED FOR RIGHTS "APATHY"

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THE NATION - July 23, 1999

ASEAN BLASTED FOR RIGHTS "APATHY"

by Don Pathan=20

SINGAPORE - Southeast Asia human rights groups blasted Asean yesterday =
for
not doing enough to protect its own people from gross violations of =
human
rights in member countries.

At a news conference one day ahead of the meeting of Asean ministers,
Debbie Stothard, coordinator for the Malaysia-based [sic] Alternative =
Asean
network on Burma, blasted the regional grouping for using a hands-off
policy to justify its failure to resolve human rights crises in Burma,
where  "massive outflows of refugees and migrant workers, and drug
production are a threat to the region."

"Asean lost its soul a long time ago by refusing to acknowledge the =
reality
that human rights are indivisible from economic development," said =
Stothard.

"In the case of Burma, Asean has failed to affect any change, any =
positive
development.

"Since Burma was allowed into Asean two years ago, there's been actually =
a
worsening of the situation," she added.

Burma's ruling government refused to step down after losing a landslide
election nearly a decade ago.  Leaders have been accused of massive =
human
rights violations, including forced labour and relocation of thousands =
of
people.

But Asean has stood by its core policy of non-interference in member
countries' domestic affairs, arguing that Burma's human rights situation
will improve if it is brought into the international community.

Open Singapore Centre's (OSC) Dr. Chee Soon Juan blasted the island =
state
for its lack of transparency and accountability , saying the island's
people are being kept in the dark about their government's failed
investment projects.

He blasted the Singapore government for investing in Burma in spite of
condemnations from the international community about the military =
junta's
treatment of its own people

J. B. Jeyaretnam, a Singapore opposition politician and also a member of
the OSC, said he was disappointed that there was no initiative by the
Singapore government to set up a a human rights commission like some =
other
Asean countries.

"They say it's a policy of non-interference.  But by their direct
encouragement of the military regime, they are interfering in Burma's
internal affairs," Jeyaretnam said at the news conference.

Jeyaretnam also criticised Singapore for investing heavily in Burma.  =
"You
are helping the Military to keep people in subjugation.  If that isn't
interference, I don't know what is," Jeyaretnam said.

Others slammed Asean for ignoring an Indonesian military crackdown on
pro-independence sympathisers in its strife-torn province of Aceh.

Ahmady, secretary of the Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia,
said the crisis in trouble-plagued Aceh had not eased despite the end of
Suharto's three-decade rule.

"There are still rapes, disappearances, killings, and other forms of
violations and intimidation inflicted by the military.  So far, 150,000
people have fled their homes from the military," said Ahmady, who like =
many
Indonesians, uses only one name.


In Malaysia, 800,000 newly-registered voters would most likely be unable
to vote in the country's upcoming election because of an eight-month =
delay
in processing their registrations, said Alison Wee, spokeswoman for =
human
rights group Suaram Malaysia.

The government said the delay was due to "compute work," Wee said.

But, the election commission will be able to conduct the election on =
short
notice of 12 days or nine days, she added.

Other activists blamed Asean member countries for stifling press =
freedom,
clamping down on dissidents and using the death penalty.

Wilson Lucente, from Amnesty International Philippines, spoke out =
against
the death penalty in that country, saying capital punishment does not =
deter
heinous crimes and that the judicial system there has been prone to =
errors
when imposing the death penalty.



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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
THE NATION - July 23,=20 1999
 
ASEAN BLASTED FOR RIGHTS=20 "APATHY"

by Don Pathan 

SINGAPORE - = Southeast=20 Asia human rights groups blasted Asean yesterday
for
not doing enough = to=20 protect its own people from gross violations of human
rights in = member=20 countries.

At a news conference one day ahead of the meeting of = Asean=20 ministers,
Debbie Stothard, coordinator for the Malaysia-based [sic]=20 Alternative Asean
network on Burma, blasted the regional grouping for = using a=20 hands-off
policy to justify its failure to resolve human rights = crises in=20 Burma,
where  "massive outflows of refugees and migrant workers, = and=20 drug
production are a threat to the region."

"Asean lost its = soul a=20 long time ago by refusing to acknowledge the
reality
that human = rights are=20 indivisible from economic development," said
Stothard.

"In the = case of=20 Burma, Asean has failed to affect any change, any=20
positive
development.

"Since Burma was allowed into Asean two = years=20 ago, there's been
actually a
worsening of the situation," she=20 added.

Burma's ruling government refused to step down after = losing a=20 landslide
election nearly a decade ago.  Leaders have been = accused of=20 massive human
rights violations, including forced labour and = relocation of=20 thousands of
people.

But Asean has stood by its core policy of = non-interference in member
countries' domestic affairs, arguing that = Burma's=20 human rights situation
will improve if it is brought into the = international=20 community.

Open Singapore Centre's (OSC) Dr. Chee Soon Juan = blasted the=20 island state
for its lack of transparency and accountability , saying = the=20 island's
people are being kept in the dark about their government's=20 failed
investment projects.

He blasted the Singapore = government for=20 investing in Burma in spite of
condemnations from the international = community=20 about the military junta's
treatment of its own people

J. B.=20 Jeyaretnam, a Singapore opposition politician and also a member = of
the OSC,=20 said he was disappointed that there was no initiative by = the
Singapore=20 government to set up a a human rights commission like some =
other
Asean=20 countries.

"They say it's a policy of non-interference.  But = by=20 their direct
encouragement of the military regime, they are = interfering in=20 Burma's
internal affairs," Jeyaretnam said at the news=20 conference.

Jeyaretnam also criticised Singapore for investing = heavily in=20 Burma. 
"You
are helping the Military to keep people in=20 subjugation.  If that isn't
interference, I don't know what is," = Jeyaretnam said.

Others slammed Asean for ignoring an Indonesian = military=20 crackdown on
pro-independence sympathisers in its strife-torn = province of=20 Aceh.

Ahmady, secretary of the Alliance of Independent = Journalists=20 Indonesia,
said the crisis in trouble-plagued Aceh had not eased = despite the=20 end of
Suharto's three-decade rule.

"There are still rapes,=20 disappearances, killings, and other forms of
violations and = intimidation=20 inflicted by the military.  So far, 150,000
people have fled = their homes=20 from the military," said Ahmady, who like
many
Indonesians, uses only = one=20 name.


In Malaysia, 800,000 newly-registered voters would most = likely=20 be unable
to vote in the country's upcoming election because of an=20 eight-month delay
in processing their registrations, said Alison Wee, = spokeswoman for human
rights group Suaram Malaysia.

The = government=20 said the delay was due to "compute work," Wee said.

But, the = election=20 commission will be able to conduct the election on
short
notice of 12 = days or=20 nine days, she added.

Other activists blamed Asean member = countries for=20 stifling press freedom,
clamping down on dissidents and using the = death=20 penalty.

Wilson Lucente, from Amnesty International Philippines, = spoke=20 out against
the death penalty in that country, saying capital = punishment does=20 not
deter
heinous crimes and that the judicial system there has been = prone to=20
errors
when imposing the death = penalty.

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