The Result of The ASEAN Summit
For a very long time, The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have lacked one important aspect to make them a real credible entity and a formidable organization, and that is the lack of implementation of their “Plans”. This is what I meant when I said that I hope this is no longer going to be just plain rhetoric, but action on the part of the member nations.
This is why the Charter is a big step to making the ASEAN group concrete and more credible. But, despite this act, it may be too little too late to bring credibility to an organization that has allowed Burma to join the member nations, and has allowed it to continue its dominant military regime who has stifled democracy in that nation.
How can an organization such as The ASEAN continue to allow Burma, who has been a member nation since 1997, allow neglect of the right of the people of Burma from electing their own government officials. For 40 years, the military has ruled that nation, and for 40 years no signs of democracy has seen the light of day. Of course, this is still a sovereign nation, so what can we do? Kick them out of course.
The most glaring of all action (or inaction) that the current Burma administration has been unwilling to act on is the release of the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
I’m currently in The United States, and you would think that the big story on the ASEAN Summit in Cebu would be about the charter and the strengthening of the group of nations…. This is a big — NO… The headlines being heard in the radio are that the ASEAN has lost its credibility because of Burma and the lack of will that the member nations have expressed and conveyed.
And let’s not forget the instability in Thailand and the current military takeover…
So, when the Arroyo Administration tries to put a good spin on the situation, let’s not be so naive and think that this is how the rest of the world sees the current situation with the ASEAN. We can only make progress if we are strong in our convictions and are seen by the rest of the world to be a stable and democratic region. And right now, instability is still the keyword with ASEAN.
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