ID :
48021
Fri, 02/27/2009 - 20:43
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/48021
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Thai PM: ASEAN human rights body expected by year end
BANGKOK, Feb 27 (TNA) - Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday, the first day of the three-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit being held in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin, that attempts to establish an ASEAN human rights body are continuing and should be reality by the end of 2009.
Speaking at ASEAN Business and Investment summit, Mr. Abhisit said the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body would make the bloc “more credible” on the condition that there was no intervention activities would be made against each other member countries in the group.
Civil society will on Saturday submit recommendations to government leaders of the 10 ASEAN states while Thailand for its part is pushing to set up the body. Although the issue is sensitive, it must be set up, be operating and be credible, he said.
There are still five to six months remaining and every concerned sector will be invited to brainstorm on how it should function.
However, the Thai premier said expectations regarding how a regionally-focused human rights mechanism should operate and how ASEAN and its component states will deal with fellow member Myanmar are likely to be different from what the US and Western countries are dealing with Myanmar.
"We may not do things on the same way as other regional groupings but you cannot overlook the success of ASEAN in keeping the stability in the region throughout these very challenging decades. We will face all the challenges head on but we have our own way of dealing with it," Mr. Abhisit said.
The United States and the European Union have imposed trade sanctions against Myanmar for its violent repression of pro-democracy demonstrators.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (TNA)
Speaking at ASEAN Business and Investment summit, Mr. Abhisit said the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body would make the bloc “more credible” on the condition that there was no intervention activities would be made against each other member countries in the group.
Civil society will on Saturday submit recommendations to government leaders of the 10 ASEAN states while Thailand for its part is pushing to set up the body. Although the issue is sensitive, it must be set up, be operating and be credible, he said.
There are still five to six months remaining and every concerned sector will be invited to brainstorm on how it should function.
However, the Thai premier said expectations regarding how a regionally-focused human rights mechanism should operate and how ASEAN and its component states will deal with fellow member Myanmar are likely to be different from what the US and Western countries are dealing with Myanmar.
"We may not do things on the same way as other regional groupings but you cannot overlook the success of ASEAN in keeping the stability in the region throughout these very challenging decades. We will face all the challenges head on but we have our own way of dealing with it," Mr. Abhisit said.
The United States and the European Union have imposed trade sanctions against Myanmar for its violent repression of pro-democracy demonstrators.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (TNA)
