Suspend Myanmar from Asean if military won’t back down: lawmakers

Name: Fires set at Chinese factories in Myanmar during deadliest day of anti-coup protests
Uploaded: 2021-03-17T12:38:12.000Z
Duration: 3 min 26 s
Description: Fires set at Chinese factories in Myanmar during deadliest day of anti-coup protests

The bloc should abandon its doctrine of non-interference unless the junta restores democracy and releases civilian leaders, prominent politicians urge

In a joint statement Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore’s Charles Chong among others say it is time to explore the possibility of sanctions

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Protesters take cover behind home-made shields as they confront the police during a crackdown on demonstrations against the military coup in Yangon, Myanmar. Photo: AFP

Bhavan Jaipragas

Published: 8:38pm, 17 Mar 2021Updated: 8:38pm, 17 Mar 2021

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations must suspend Myanmar if its military rulers refuse to restore democracy and release civilian leaders from custody following February’s coup, six prominent past and present regional lawmakers said on Wednesday.

The joint statement – initiated by Cambodia’s exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy – said regional governments in the 10-nation bloc needed to abandon “the old doctrine of non-interference” in the affairs of other Asean members, and instead explore the possibility of trade and economic sanctions on the junta.

Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian MP and former deputy parliamentary speaker Fadli Zon, Philippine senator Kiko Pangilinan, former Singapore government MP Charles Chong and the former Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya were the other signatories to the joint statement.

“At the heart of the matter [is that] Association of Southeast Asian Nations governments have been handicapped by the self-imposed doctrine of non-interference,” the statement said. “This doctrine may have been needed in the past, but it has since become a major hindrance and stumbling block to the development of participatory democracies and the protection of the basic rights of the peoples of Asean”.

“All other Asean governments must unite and send an unequivocal message to the Myanmar military junta to immediately free all political prisoners, to restore the political situation in Myanmar to that prior to the February 1, 2021, coup and to respect the people’s votes in the November 2020 general election,” the politicians added.

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Fires set at Chinese factories in Myanmar during deadliest day of anti-coup protests

“All those responsible for the killing of innocent people must also be prosecuted and brought to justice. Failing which, all other Asean governments must unite and suspend Myanmar’s membership of Asean and thereafter impose targeted trade and economic sanctions against the military junta and their associates.”

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