ID :
75040
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 08:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/75040
The shortlink copeid
PRESIDENT ASKS MYANMAR TO ABIDE BY ASEAN CHARTER
Jakarta, Aug 12 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked the Myanmarese government on Wednesday to abide by the new ASEAN Charter calling on member states to respect democratic practices in their respective country.
"ASEAN has signed and ratified the new ASEAN Charter. The charter clearly states ASEAN aims to build an ASEAN community which respects democratic practices to allow the creation of democratically-elected governments," Yudhoyono said at his office here.
Where Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was concerned, other ASEAN member states must urge Myanmar to respect the ASEAN Charter, the president said.
A Myanmar prison court again put Suu Kyi under house arrest for 18 months after convicting her at the end of her trial on Tuesday. The trial followed an incident in which a US man swam to her lakeside residence in May.
The 64-year-old Nobel laureate had already spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest.
Suu Kyi supporters accused the military junta of deliberately convicting Suu Kyi to prevent her from contesting general elections in Myanmar next year.
Yudhoyono said he had proposed to the Thai premier as rotating ASEAN chairman to call an immediate foreign ministers meeting and contact the Myanmar government to enquire about their efforts to respect democracy and to hold the upcoming general election.
The president also asked the Myanmar government to clarify their decision to mete out the verdict to Suu Kyi now that Myanmar had pledged to exercise democracy and hold the elections next year.
"Suu Kyi must be a part of the elections. By holding the elections, problems can be resolved because the Myanmar people can then have leaders possess their mandate to make decisions," he said.
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"ASEAN has signed and ratified the new ASEAN Charter. The charter clearly states ASEAN aims to build an ASEAN community which respects democratic practices to allow the creation of democratically-elected governments," Yudhoyono said at his office here.
Where Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was concerned, other ASEAN member states must urge Myanmar to respect the ASEAN Charter, the president said.
A Myanmar prison court again put Suu Kyi under house arrest for 18 months after convicting her at the end of her trial on Tuesday. The trial followed an incident in which a US man swam to her lakeside residence in May.
The 64-year-old Nobel laureate had already spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest.
Suu Kyi supporters accused the military junta of deliberately convicting Suu Kyi to prevent her from contesting general elections in Myanmar next year.
Yudhoyono said he had proposed to the Thai premier as rotating ASEAN chairman to call an immediate foreign ministers meeting and contact the Myanmar government to enquire about their efforts to respect democracy and to hold the upcoming general election.
The president also asked the Myanmar government to clarify their decision to mete out the verdict to Suu Kyi now that Myanmar had pledged to exercise democracy and hold the elections next year.
"Suu Kyi must be a part of the elections. By holding the elections, problems can be resolved because the Myanmar people can then have leaders possess their mandate to make decisions," he said.
***5***
