Burma junta is a bloody murderer not a troubled child

ASEAN leaders have signed a charter on democracy and human rights in Singapore on Tuesday after much international pressure on ASEAN over the atrocities committed by Burma (Myanmar) over the last few decades, in particular the brutal killings of monks and civilians in the recent pro-democracy nationwide protest in September.

Fine. ASEAN, together with the media, can continue to trumpet on the success of ASEAN in getting the democracy and human rights charter signed but as the charter apparently does not comprise any provision for enforcing human rights compliance, the effect of the signing goes to zilch. To quote Mr Sinapan Samydorai, president of Singapore’s Think Centre:

"They're more into rhetoric than real action. They can talk about human rights, but they can't enforce it."

To prove Burma’s sincerity in recognising human rights, it has to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is the opposition leader of NLD, all, I mean ALL, political prisoners including the protesters in the recent crackdown and stop all arrests and tortures of its people with immediate effect. I do not care what ASEAN’s Secretary-General Mr Ong Keng Yong has said:

“If you have a troubled child in the family, you can’t send it away to the mental house or sanatorium. I think our leaders’ instinct will be to see how ASEAN can help Myanmar.”

A troubled child who goes around killing people (not a few but thousands of Burmese since the military junta took over in 1962) is no simple child and should not be protected by his parent (ASEAN) but be tried under the court of law for he is undoubtedly a bloody murderer. No law or parent will ever allow a criminal/child to continue with their evil doings.

ASEAN certainly needs to work harder to address human rights issues in the region and start growing more teeth to stop the world from calling it a toothless tiger.

Arroyo takes parting shot at Myanmar with strong criticism before leaving summit

SINGAPORE: The president of the Philippines took a parting shot at Myanmar's junta Wednesday, deploring the pace of democratic reforms in the Southeast Asian nation as she hastily returned home to oversee preparations for a looming tropical storm.

"Let me be very clear. We ... remain concerned about the pace of progress of Myanmar on the issue of human rights," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said.

"We particularly deplore the treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi," the pro-democracy leader who remains under house arrest. "She must be released, now," Arroyo told reporters before cutting short her visit to Singapore by a day.

Philippines is the most vocal critic of Myanmar among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Myanmar dominated discussions at ASEAN's annual summit this week but scored a diplomatic victory when it blocked a planned briefing by U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Asian leaders. But Arroyo said Myanmar was still not off the ASEAN hook.

"We will not rest in the pursuit of justice and reconciliation in Myanmar. We must be active in advocating peaceful reforms in that nation. It is good for Myanmar, for ASEAN and the world," she said before heading to the airport.

During the summit, ASEAN adopted a charter that calls on member nations to respect human rights and democracy. Arroyo said her government is pleased that the charter incorporated language that advances these values.

But "we remain concerned that the forces of authoritarianism still move rather slowly toward democracy in Myanmar," she said.

Arroyo was returning home early to focus on the needs of the people likely to be hit by a typhoon that is expected to make landfall in eastern Philippines this week. Arroyo will miss a summit Thursday of ASEAN leaders and the European Union. In Manila, Arroyo's executive secretary, Eduardo Ermita, said Arroyo will fly directly to the southern Philippines to meet with heads of disaster-response agencies.

She has already ordered the evacuation of thousands of people in the eastern Philippines. The area is bracing for tropical storm Mitag, which is packing sustained winds of 85 kph (53 mph) with gusts of up to 100 kph (63 mph).