Summit avoids touchy issues
A POWERFUL gathering of European and Asian leaders in Bangkok pledged yesterday to uphold human rights, but avoided issues which could have embarrassed delegates.
Despite pressure from human rights activists to bring up concerns over working conditions, wage rates, free speech and democracy, the Asia-Europe Meeting ended with a statement that all countries should promote fundamental rights in line with internal laws, but there should be a policy of non-intervention in each others' affairs.
Jacques Santer, president of the European Commission, said both sides had differences over sensitive and controversial issues.
But there was no intention of sweeping them under the carpet, or of either side giving up its determination to pursue them.
European and American organisations have accused Asia of putting growth ahead of human rights, and suppressing dissent, but Mr Santer said that open argument did not solve problems.
'Delicate issues are not solved by shouting across the fence.
'They require dialogue and mutual understanding,' Mr Santer said.
He pointed to an agreement reached at the meeting between Portugal and Indonesia to start talks over East Timor as an example of how progress could be made.
While the meeting centred on trade and investment, Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa said the 25 leaders also agreed on possible mutual assistance on a wide range of issues.
'There will be other areas of co-operation, such as in human resource development, the role of women, elimination of poverty, AIDS prevention, control of illicit drugs and exchanges of technology as well as environmental co-operation,' he said in his summing-up address.
There was no clear progress, however, in the development of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone which was the target of a treaty signed in December last year by members of the Association of South East Asian Nations - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - as well as Japan and South Korea.
The meeting accepted Britain's offer to host a second summit in 1998 and South Korea's plan for a third meeting in 2000, Mr Banharn said.
