Parliamentarians from Asean countries at a forum yesterday disagreed with the coalition’s policy of non-interference in one another’s domestic affairs.

 

They say Asean’s non-interference policy is a disservice in upholding human rights, and some argued there is already interference albeit only in areas which are mutually beneficial to the governments involved.

 

Indonesian MP Irine Yusiana Roba Putri ( left ) said she was appalled by the state of human rights in Myanmar during her recent visit and wondered how to help as a neighbour.

 

“I think the vision that I want to see in Asean in 2020 is that we redefine the application of the non-interference principle so that we, as a community, can really help with the human rights issue in each country in Asean,” she said.

 

This is especially since Asean had previously pledged to be fully compliant with human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

 

Singaporean MP Charles Chong and Myanmar MP U Shwe Maung concurred.

 

“Asean works on consensus of ten countries. If one country says no, then whatever grand idea they have fails.

 

“So if you (don’t have) a consensus, it would be dragged down to the lowest common denominator because there is no way a country would accept criticism on itself,” said Chong.

 

Cherry-picking

 

He pointed out that domestic issues can affect neighbouring countries, such as rights abuses in Myanmar causing a flood of Rohingya refugees throughout the region.

 

Thai MP Kraisak Choonhavan ( right ) said a country’s policies have direct impact on its neighbours.

 

Thailand’s decision to construct a dam affects downstream Cambodia while its decision to buy electricity from Laos produced through another dam affects local communities there that say they were not consulted.

 

Agreeing with him was Klang MP Charles Santiago, who cited the Asean Free Trade Agreement and the Asean Economic Community as examples.

 

In both instances, member countries must file report cards on their compliance to agreements signed and is held accountable for any shortcomings.

 

“So there is (inter-government) interference. But when it comes to the issue of Rohingya, when it comes to the issue election violence in Myanmar, when it comes to the issue of burning of homes, and rape and trafficking of Rohingya women, then you don’t ask.

 

“That is the interference issue. So when it benefits your country, you interfere. But when you want business from other countries especially from Myanmar right now, then you don’t interfere.

 

“So this notion of interference is an opportunistic approach to maintain what I call a toothless bloc. Asean is a toothless bloc; nothing else one can say about it,” he said.

The forum was a town hall meeting between civil society groups and parliamentarians at the Asean People’s Forum (APF), held at Wisma MCA in parallel to the Asean Summit.

 

Representing civil society groups at the meeting were Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and Nguyen Thi Hoang Van ( right ) from the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (Vufo).

 

Other parliamentarians on the panel were Pulai MP Nur Jazlan Mohamad, Indonesian MP Diah Pitaloka and Cambodian MP Mu Sochua.

 

All the parliamentarians on the panel are from opposition parties of their respective countries except for Nur Jazlan from Umno, and Chong from Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP).

 

The four-day event started on Tuesday and involves over 1,400 civil society members from throughout the region.

 

Sponsors include the Malaysian government, the Selangor government, the German embassy and MCA, while Malaysiakini is the event’s official webcaster .

 

Syed Hamid: Uphold human rights

 

At the welcoming dinner last night, former Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar ( left ) also joined in the call to rethink the policy of non-interference.

 

He said while he would not condone interference in a nation’s sovereignty, some issues cannot be ignored by neighbouring countries.

 

These include issues that have an impact on regional security, the building of tolerant societies, or involve human rights abuses.

 

“Ultimately, an Asean community needs an Asean community that wants to see freedom; that wants to see democracy thrive and survive so that people can enjoy prosperity and live together in wellbeing, for the future generations.

 

“These principles are a fundamental part of international diplomacy.

 

“However, we need to recognise that even in international diplomacy, there are limits on non-interference, especially when there is serious impact if the problem goes beyond national boundaries or involve serious crimes against humanity,” he said in his welcoming speech.