US Senate asks Asean leaders to suspend Myanmar

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US Senate unanimously adopted a resolution Friday, urging an upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit to suspend military-ruled Myanmar from the grouping for its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

The move came as US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda condemned Myanmar’s military generals for the violent suppression in September, after talks at the White House.

US First Lady Laura Bush, separately, urged foreign companies to shun a just opened Myanmar gem show aimed at reaping much-needed foreign currency amid tightening Western sanctions.

The 10-member ASEAN, which includes the Philippines, had issued a rare rebuke to Myanmar’s military junta following the crackdown, expressing “revulsion” and demanding that the generals immediately stop the use of violence against protesters.

“It is now time for ASEAN to back its words with actions,” said Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer from California, whose resolution was adopted Friday ahead of next week’s ASEAN summit in Singapore which will be attended by President Arroyo, among other heads of state.

Her resolution said the US Congress “would welcome a decision by ASEAN, consistent with its core documents and its new charter, to review Burma’s membership in ASEAN and to consider appropriate disciplinary measures, including suspension, until such time as the Government of Burma has demonstrated an improved respect for and commitment to human rights.”

ASEAN leaders, at their meeting, plan to sign a landmark charter, which seeks to promote human rights and democracy, but rights groups say there is no clear mechanism for the association to take action against Myanmar.

The regime told a UN rights investigator Friday that 14 people were killed in the military suppression of pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks in September in the main city of Yangon, described as the biggest anti-government demonstrations in nearly 20 years.

Civil society and trade union groups in Southeast Asian countries have also appealed to ASEAN leaders to make a strong statement against the recent crackdown of Burmese authorities on rallies there and to postpone the signing of the new charter.

“No bloody hands in the ASEAN charter,” said Egoy Bans, spokesman for the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy.

He aired the same call to Asian leaders during the recently concluded Third Asian and Civil Society conference in Singapore early this month.

In the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo yesterday, Bans said conference participants agreed that the current political crisis in Burma must first be resolved in accordance with basic human rights standards before ASEAN leaders can sign the “Charter for Caring, Sharing Communities.”

He said the delegates urged Asian countries, particularly Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, to issue more strong statements against Myanmar and to take concrete action, including the imposition of armed embargo and the stemming of resources on the military junta.

Amnesty International has estimated that 700 people arrested over the protests were still in detention, although the government has said only about 90 of the nearly 3,000 originally rounded up are still being held.

The crackdown was condemned globally, with the US and European Union stepping up sanctions against Myanmar.

Aside from addressing the political issues in Burma, the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy also questioned the lack of transparency in the drafting of the charter that might pave the way for the non-participation of peoples’ organizations in ASEAN affairs.

They said the proposed charter should embody the shared values and collective aspiration of the people in the ASEAN.

ASEAN leaders will converge in Singapore today until Thursday for the 40th anniversary of the founding of the ASEAN charter.

The highlight of the meeting is the signing of the charter for the ASEAN, which calls for unity under one vision, one identity and one caring and sharing community among Asian people.

Apart from the Philippines, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Bush and Fukuda, speaking after their meeting Friday, called for the release of Myanmar’s arrested democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners, and called for “a genuine dialogue” between the military regime and democracy groups.

Bush said that Fukuda told him that Japan, which has canceled nearly five million dollars in grants to Myanmar, was reviewing other aid projects to ensure that they directly benefited the people of the tightly controlled nation.

Fukuda said he had been working to push democratization and improvement of the human rights situation in Myanmar.

Laura Bush urged firms to shun the potentially lucrative gem auction show opened in Myanmar’s main city Yangon on Wednesday, saying, “every Burmese stone bought, cut, polished, and sold sustains an illegitimate, repressive regime.”

The junta hopes to sell jade, gems and pearls, worth about $300 million during the auction.

Myanmar used to hold gem auctions twice a year but has been holding them with increasing frequency in a bid to raise much-needed foreign currency amid tightening sanctions against the junta. It held four auctions in 2006. – With Perseus Echeminada