Pimentel says ASEAN Charter should be used to end
repression of Burmese people

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should be used as an effective mechanism for restoring democracy, peace and reconciliation in Myanmar where the civil liberties of the Burmese people continue to be ruthlessly suppressed under the iron rule of a well-entrenched military junta.

While expressing his inclination to support the ratification of the ASEAN Charter which is now being debated in the Senate, Pimentel voiced reservation over the apparent lack of provisions in the covenant to compel member-states to adhere to fundamental principle of respect for human rights.

He lamented that Myanmar has been remiss in complying with its commitment as an ASEAN member-state to take concrete steps towards the restoration of democracy and the holding of free elections in that country. He said the ruling junta has conveniently reneged on such commitment in the absence of any sanctions from the ASEAN due to its policy of non-interference in the domestic affairs of member-states.

Pimentel asked whether the regional grouping is following a correct and credible policy by not sanctioning Myanmar considering that "in this time an age, human rights are no longer the concern of particular countries because these are rights that transcend boundaries of nations."

"If we adopt the ASEAN Charter, as proposed, what is going to happen to our stand that all countries in ASEAN must recognize and protect human rights and no member-state can avail of the excuse that this is interference in our national affairs?" he said.

Pimentel said that a provision in the ASEAN Charter mandating the creation of a human rights body appears to be a laudable step. But he noted that the nature and functions of that proposed body still have to be fleshed out after the Charter comes into force.

Obviously, he said the usual, diplomatic way that the Philippines and other ASEAN members of appealing to Myanmar's military rulers to stop violating human rights and to release opposition leaders from detention has not worked, which is a slap on the regional grouping and its leaders.

Pimentel said Myanmar was already on the way to democracy when it held free elections in l990. More than a majority of the seats in the National Assembly were won by the National League for Democracy under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi.

But the military nullified the election results, dissolved the parliament without any excuse and arrested and imprisoned Aung San and several other opposition leaders.

Pimentel said Aung San remains under house arrest up to this day because the ruling junta would always extend her detention after it expired.

He said the ruling junta mounted a crackdown on

dissenters in the wake of the massive street protests in September last year, led by Buddhist monks, resulting in the arrest of thousands and massacre of a huge number of so-called enemies of the regime. Scores of people remain unaccounted for, the likely victims of enforced disappearances.

Pimentel said that only last week, it was reported that more than 9,000 political prisoners were released upon the ruling junta's order. But a subsequent report said many of them were rearrested for their continuing peaceful opposition to the regime.

He also called attention to the shocking incidence of government soldiers raping women in the countryside, particularly from the Shan minority, with the tolerance of the ruling junta. He said the sordid details of this are described in a four-page pamphlet entitled "Still Licensed to Rape."

Pimentel said the ruling junta's claim that it is taking steps to return to democracy by formulating a new Constitution is contradicted by complaints from Burmese opposition leaders that no free public discussion of this fundamental law were allowed by the junta. He said the major tribal groups were also excluded from the consultation process before the Constitution was ratified.