ASEAN issues statement of 'grave concern' over Suu Kyi trial
Updated
As the trial of Burmese democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi's continues, the Association of Southeast Asian nations has issued a statement of concern.
The ASEAN Presidency, which is held by Thailand issued a statement, expressing "grave concern" about recent developments relating to Suu Kyi given her fragile health. It's well short of the condemnation heard from many of the world's capitals, including some individual ASEAN states.
But it did refer to Burma's "responsibility to protect and promote human rights", possibly the only time the two have been linked in an ASEAN declaration about Burma. The regime though is notoriously impervious to international protest.
Presenter: Linda Mottram
Speakers:Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign Minister; Julie Bishop, Australian Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesperson; Maung Maung Than, Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma; Trevor Wilson, former Australian Ambassador to Burma now visiting fellow Australian National University
- Listen:
- Windows Media
MOTTRAM: The ASEAN Presidency statement came after days of criticism that ASEAN was sitting by as one of its own members acted in blatant disregard for ASEAN's own standards on human rights. Its not a new dilemma for ASEAN given the Burmese regime's record, though some individual ASEAN nations have been making far stronger statements than their collective presidency. The pressing question for many though is whether there is anything truly effective that can be done to change the regime's practices.
Australia's Foreign minister Stephen Smith has continued the now familiar calls for change particularly where Ms Suu Kyi is concerned.
SMITH: She should be released immediately and unconditionally. That's been the Australian position for some time. We're gravely concerned about this trial process.
MOTTRAM: And its a rare example of a united front in Australia. The foreign affairs spokesperson for Australia's official opposition is Julie Bishop.
BISHOP: This is just another example of the Burmese regime's long history of contempt for the will of the Burmese people, of violations of human rights particularly in relation to Aung San Suu Kyi.
MOTTRAM: And Julie Bishop has urged the Australian government to do more to press ASEAN to take real action against Burma.
Burma democracy activists in Australia say such calls are worthy but weak. Maung Maung Than is based in Sydney and works with the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma says Burma still receives vital support.
THAN: Mainly from China, China and also from Russia, they're sending military trainees to many countries mostly to China, Russia and also they're getting indirect support from India and Thailand and neighbouring countries.
MOTTRAM: Maung Maung Than says the Burmese economy is suffering and could be weakened if a co-ordinated effort saw those sources of support removed. He also says Australia could do more, including by ending a training program through ASEAN that has included training of Burmese police officers, as well as by widening financial sanctions and cutting economic ties.
Last year Australia did increase from 418 to 463 the number of Burmese junta members, ministers, senior military officers and other associates on the financial sanctions list. Australia also maintains a ban on defence exports to Burma and some travel restrictions, though it doesn't prohibit trade and investment.
But in the face of such a resistant, entrenched regime, can such public appeals and so-called targetted sanctions have any effect? Australia's ambassador to Burma from 2000 to 2003 was Trevor Wilson. He says targetted sanctions are important, as are some other efforts.
WILSON: Trying to do something formally, inside ASEAN, as a formal decision by ASEAN would be worthwhile if you could achieve that. Trying to do something inside the United Nations would be worthwhile.
MOTTRAM: And Mr Wilson, who's now a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, gives another approach some credence.
WILSON: One other thing that was done I think by the Japanese foreign minister was he actually put in a direct telephone call to the Burmese foreign minister and made the case directly by phone, I think that kind of putting it directly to them, as directly as you can, is worth doing.
MOTTRAM: Trevor Wilson cautions the regime is "thick skinned" -- tolerant of almost anything. And the evidence for that is surely in its longevity and Aung San Suu Kyi's detention for most of the past two decades.
It's widely expected that Ms Suu Kyi's trial will see her long years of house arrest extend beyond the elections Burma's junta plans for next year, thus excluding the democracy icon from being a candidate. And the charade of the trial on charges of breaching security, because an American citizen swam across Rangoon's Lake Inya to Ms Suu Kyi's home and stayed for two days, is evidence of the regime's paranoia.
WILSON: They've put on an awful lot of security because they have expected that there would be protests and indeed they might even fear that the regime could fall by doing something like this.
MOTTRAM: And both Trevor Wilson and democracy activists based in Australia agree there are signs the regime is finding it difficult to keep Burmese public opinion under control.
