Wake up, Asean!!! Part 2

Pix of the deadly crackdown of the pro-democracy demonstration in September.
Pix source: http://myamarnews.blogspot.com/

Asean, which kowtowed to the murderers of Myanmar this week, still has many grand plans although it is beset by many unsolved regional disputes and problems.

One of the grand plans is the idea of a common stock exchange for easier cross-border trading in big-cap stocks, AFP cited an official at the Thai bourse as saying today.

The report said Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam would jointly set up an exchange for regional trading in late 2008. Under the plan, large-cap shares in each participating country could be exchanged on the new trading board.

Asean, please wake up! Can an Asean-wide stock exchange realistically take off next year when the two historically linked stock exchanges of Malaysia and Singapore can't even set up a joint trading platform after talking for more than three years?

And the two bourses -- Bursa Malaysia and Singapore Exchange -- are the only two publicly-listed stock exchanges within Asean. Their status would have made it easier for them to undertake commercial decisions such as setting up a joint trading platform. But the proposed cross-trading mechanism remains a pipe dream.

Asean members must resolve the long list of outstanding bilateral issues first, before the bloc could truly undertake real regional joint efforts or have greater moral authority to preach to Myanmar's dumb generals.

Wake up, Asean!!!

Alamak! All the Asean leaders formed a human chain with PM Thein Sein of Myanmar, which is ruled by murderers and dumb generals.

They formed the traditional Asean human chain following the signing of the Asean charter in Singapore this evening (AFP pix on ST).

Sophie's World is speechless and disgusted. Read Choo Zheng Xi's far more eloquent piece in The Online Citizen.

Wake up, Asean!!! It should not be business as usual anymore. Myanmar didn't just disperse protesters with tear gas. It killed unarmed protesters and monks!!!

And yes, the so-called historic Asean charter is generally full of motherhood statements as expected, and procedural matters that should have been in place after 40 years.

Asean a happy family?

The ten Asean members will sign a charter in Singapore to mark yet another commitment to build a stronger community with over 500 million people.

According to news reports, the charter marks the first time that the 40-year-old bloc, which has often been described as a family by its member nations, will codify its basic principles and organisational rules.

The Straits Times said the 31-page Charter includes provisions for leaders to meet twice a year, new rules for settling disputes peacefully, more flexible decision-making processes, and steps to beef up the organisational structure of the grouping so that it is able to monitor and implement what members have agreed to do together.

Sophie's World has not seen the implementation details but is curious about the provision to resolve disputes. Will it be a motherhood statement about the need to resolve disputes peacefully without resorting to violence? Or will the charter spell out something concrete like all neighbourly disputes be referred to an international court or arbitrator if affected parties are unable to come to terms after 10 years of bilateral negotiations?

The provision is definitely an important point because there is no shortage of disputes within the so-called Asean family. Some of the family tiffs include:

1. Asean members' inability to rehabilitate the dumb generals and killers of Myanmar;
2. Malaysia and Singapore are crossing swords at the ICJ over a rock known as Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Putih in the South China Sea;
3. Singapore and Malaysia still can't resolve their bilateral problems after nearly two decades;
4. Malaysia and Indonesia are still banning sale of sand to Singapore;
5. Indonesia and Singapore couldn't seal a treaty to extradite any Indonesian criminal in Singapore;
6. Singapore and Indonesia could not seal a defence cooperation agreement;
7. Nearly all Asean members are pissed off with Indonesia's annual haze;
8. Thailand is still seething over Singapore government investment arm Temasek Holdings' controversial deal with former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra's Shin Corp;
9. Indonesia and Malaysia have not fully embraced each other after another round of Konfrontasi;
10. Malaysia and Singapore can't even agree on a new overhead bridge to replace the old causeway to help improve the massive cross-border flow of goods and people, although Asean dreams about a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour and freer flow of capital by 2015.

The Singapore charter is definitely a step in the right direction to set up a proper framework for the interaction of its ten family members.

But individual members of the Asean family must look at wider interests, not just their narrow self-interest.


Sophie's Note: Wikipedia entry showing satellite image of the 2006 Southeast Asian haze over Borneo.

Will Burma Ever Change?

By Uncle Cheng

Ever since my first visit to the country in 1971, Burma has remained one of my most loved nations. I can think of few nations that have changed less during nearly four decades. It seems that the Burmese are cruelly fated to no improvement in their lives. They are still stuck exactly where they were forty years ago.

The original, indigenous peoples of what is now Burma were cousins of the Tibetans, and they remain, as television images have graphically reminded us recently, overwhelmingly Buddhist. That Burma’s Buddhism is established on the austere, Theravada, school, means that the country’s Buddhists remain especially severe and ascetic. Over the years I have been lucky to visit nearly all Burma’s major cultural sites, some many times, and there is no doubt that Burma, despite being trapped in its past, remains a wonderfully unspoilt place.

While we have been able to witness Burma’s political drama unfold day-by-day on our television screens, it is worth reminding ourselves that Burmese population have never known any government which was not both oppressive and tyrannical. The present military junta is just the latest example of such governments. It was not that long ago that the Burmese suffered the appalling atrocities of last king Thibaw, who was unceremoniously sent into Indian exile by the British colonialists.

When Burma was annexed by the British and made into a virtual province of India, it was hoped that the life of ordinary Burmese would improve. Sadly, the Japanese occupation made Burma into one of the most severe and deadly battlefields of the Second World War. When the British, worn out by war, gave India its independence in August 1947 it was inevitable that independence would be forced on Burma as well.

The hope had been that Burmese independence would herald peace and prosperity for that tortured country but all dreams of stability were swiftly dashed when the charismatic national leader General Aung San (the father of the present opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi) was assassinated in mid-1947, some six months before the British finally left the country.

Despite all its handicaps Burma in 1948 remained a potentially prosperous country and its people should rightfully have gained affluence. Instead, ever since the dictator Ne Win brutally destroyed all the country’s political and economic infrastructure and imposed a truly dismal dictatorship, the Burmese people have been forced into penury.

So why have the people of Burma been so unfortunate? Why have they missed out on all the great economic and social advances enjoyed by the peoples of neighbouring countries such as Thailand, India and China? The obvious responsibility lies with the military’s grip on all aspects of Burmese life. There is no greater truth than the maxim than that the sword is mightier the pen. Perhaps the pen will triumph in the end but that will be small consolation to the average Burmese family who have suffered so much for nearly half a century.

A stage has been reached where all decent people the world over want Burma to escape from its military hermit status. Everyone knows in their bones that the army’s dictatorial rule is nearing its inevitable end. Yet there are nevertheless some ominous signals on the horizon. The wished-for transition to democracy, especially liberal democracy, will quite probably lead to the total disintegration of Burma into separate states based on ancient tribal loyalties. The large western province of Arakan, for example, which was once independent, and the northern Shan states may seek autonomy or even independence.

Political change in Burma may not be an altogether pleasant experience. Nor should we forget that we depend on Burma for the best, most precious jades.

Uncle Sam doing the right thing in Myanmar

Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Uncle Sam has started intervening in the political affairs of Myanmar, as suggested by Sophie's World earlier.

According to Singapore's The Straits Times today, the United States has stepped up pressure on Myanmar's military regime, with President George W. Bush imposing new sanctions and signalling that more could follow.

Mr Bush on Friday issued orders intended to secure the release of political prisoners in Myanmar and force the junta to open negotiations with the opposition. He ordered the Treasury Department to freeze the US assets of 11 senior junta members.

President Bush also issued an executive order expanding the sanctions to those who assist the blacklisted officials, starting with 12 individuals and entities. Three companies either based or linked to Singapore - Pavo Trading, Air Bagan Holdings and Htoo Wood Products - were among those blacklisted, reported Agence France-Presse.

The newspaper quoted an academic as saying that the targeted sanction works better than sweeping restrictions and brought North Korea to the negotiating table.

The US has definitely done the right thing to force the dumb generals to the negotiating table. But it's sad that the bully is now seen to be doing the right thing, while other parties such as Asean and the United Nations have been crippled by relative inertia.

It's sad that China, which is a backer of Myanmar, has failed to secure the moral victory by forcing Myanmar's military government to do the right thing instead of killing its own people.

Instead, President Bush the war criminal, who ordered the unprovoked invasion of Iraq that resulted in the death of 650,000 Iraqis, is now seen as the hero.

*sigh*

Kick out Myanmar

The message is clear but the poll findings inconclusive.

According to an online survey by Sophie's World, there is consensus to the question on whether Asean should kick out Myanmar following the recent atrocities by its military government.

11 people or 73% said yes, as it's about time to alienate murderers.
3 people or 11 % said no, as it's better to engage the government as a transition to democracy.
1 person or 6% said maybe, as it's better to be pragmatic about it.

Well, the sample size is just too small with only 15 respondents during the one-week poll to make a big statement out of the survey. :-(

But Sophie remains resolute in her desire to see the demise of the Myanmar murderers.

"Dumb" Myanmar generals

This is one of the best comments by Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew on the situation in Myanmar. The Straits Times cited the Asian statesman as saying that the military leaders of Myanmar are "dumb". Kudos to Kuan Yew and Singapore for calling a spade a spade.

Such strong language is absolutely necessary as Singapore has assumed the chair of Asean, a grouping of Southeast Asian nations including the rogue state of Myanmar. The army's action of killing monks and protesters recently cannot be tolerated any more, although Asean has had a policy of non-interference in the affairs of member nations.

Kuan Yew should have added that he would have made the Myanmar generals stand against the wall and give them ten of the best.

"Dumb" Myanmar generals cannot last indefinitely MM
MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew believes Myanmar's ruling generals, who, he described as being rather 'dumb' when it comes to managing the country's economy, will not be able to survive indefinitely.

But he says the army must be part of the solution to the problems facing their country, because if it is dissolved, all of Myanmar's administrative instruments will go with it and the country will have nothing with which to govern itself.

Mr Lee made these points during a wide-ranging interview at his office in the Istana on Sept 27 with syndicated columnist Tom Plate of the University of California Los Angeles Media Centre and new-media expert Jeffrey Cole of the University of Southern California Annenberg Centre.

Mr Lee said: 'These are rather dumb generals when it comes to the economy... How they can so mismanage the economy and reach this stage when the country has so many natural resources?'

He noted that Singapore hoteliers, who had sunk millions of dollars in Myanmar on his advice, have now found their hotels empty.

Mr Lee disclosed that he has tried to advise the generals and take Myanmar out of its isolation, referring specifically to former junta member Khin Nyunt, who is now under house arrest.

MM Lee said: 'He's the most intelligent of the lot. I sold him the idea, or at least he bought the idea, that the way for them to go forward was to get out of uniform and do it like Suharto, form a party, Golkar and then take over as a civilian party.

'But halfway through, Suharto fell. So, it ended up as the wrong advice, they back-tracked. Then they chucked Khin Nyunt out.'

Asean should interfere in Myanmar

Asean has done something it considered drastic. The grouping has issued a statement to tick off its member nation Myanmar following the latest bloody crackdown by the military government against the pro-democracy movement led by Burmese monks.

According to reports, Asean foreign ministers 'expressed their revulsion to Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win over reports that the demonstrations in Myanmar are being suppressed by violent force, and that there have been a number of fatalities'.

They demanded that the country's military junta 'immediately desist from the use of violence against demonstrators' (The Straits Times pix). Even bloggers in Singapore are up in arms. See postings on The Singapore Daily, Tomorrow and The Void Deck.

The Asean rebuke is a departure from its past stance of non-interference in the affairs of its ten member nations.

But it's simply ain't good enough anymore. Asean should consider doing something more drastic to restore peace and image in its own backyard. What Myanmar is doing internally is affecting the image of the rest of the neighbourhood.

I'm not going to sit still if my neighbour kills members of its own family. I will enter my neighbour's house to stop the killing or call the police to interfere immediately. No more niceties.

First, Asean should consider booting out Myanmar from the grouping, as suggested by a Malaysian lawmaker. That's a longer term move if the junta remains in power and refuses to accept the release of all political detainees, including opposition leader and Nobel Prize laureate Aung Sung Suu Kyi.

In the immediate future, Asean and United Nations should work together to send in peace-keeping forces to help calm down the situation in Myanmar, as diplomacy has obviously failed after so many years of idle chatter.

It's better for Asean/UN to send in troops to restore peace in Myanmar instead of waiting for Uncle Sam to act unilaterally again. The United States has invaded many countries unilaterally, some on the pretext of securing peace for certain regions. The result has been disastrous. Iraq was the latest casualty.

Asean, act now!!!

Additional report: Singapore has defended the country against accusations that it is a money-laundering centre for members of Myanmar's military regime. Read here.