FORUM-ASIA has submited an open letter to the ASEAN heads of states, urging them to play a strong and meaningful role to correct the human rights situations of the people in Burma and push the Burmese military government to respect the principle of non-discrimination and of freedom of assembly, expression and information.

OPEN LETTER to ASEAN HEADS of STATES

20 October 2008

To:

H.M. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang di Pertuan Agung of Brunei Darussalam

H.E. Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia H.E. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Republic of Indonesia

H.E. Bounyang Vorachith, Prime Minister of the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos H.E. Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia

H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of Republic of Philippines H.E. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

H.E. Somchai Wongsawat, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand

H.E. Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, Prime Minister of Socialist Republic of Vietnam

2 October 2008, marks the one year anniversary of the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Burma.

The session resulted in a series of resolutions – the UN Human Rights Council Special Session Resolution S-5/1, followed by UN resolutions (including Human Rights Council Resolutions 6/33 on 14 Dec. 2007, and A/HRC/7/L.36 on 25 March 2008, and A/HRC/8/L.12 on 12 June 2008).

These resolutions strongly urged the government to:

• Ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of human rights violations, including violations against human rights defenders during peaceful protests in September 2007.
• Release of all political detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ensure that the conditions of detention meet international standards.
• Call to the Burmese military government to lift all restraints on the peaceful political activity of all persons by guaranteeing freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and of freedom of opinion and expression, including for free and independent media.

However, there had been no progress since these urgent recommendations were made last year. The government has also yet to implement recommendations in reports made by former and current UN Special Rapportuers on the situation of human rights in Burma Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro and Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, respectively.

FORUM-ASIA is deeply concerned that despite the lack of progress in Burma with regards to the implementation of the UN resolutions, ASEAN governments are yet to take any steps towards urgent action to ensure that Burma adheres to basic principles, norms and standards of human rights, which are enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.

We therefore submit this open letter to the ASEAN heads of states as we believe that ASEAN governments must play a strong and meaningful role to correct the human rights situations of the people in Burma and push the Burmese military government to respect the principle of non-discrimination and of freedom of assembly, expression and information.

We urge ASEAN governments to call on Burma to uphold democracy and rule of law. If ASEAN fails to do so, ASEAN will be seen as failing in implementing the Charter in pursuing democracy and human rights in the region.

FORUM-ASIA once again strongly urge that ASEAN ensure Burma implement the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council Special Session Resolution and adhere to the principles on human rights outlined in the ASEAN charter.

Sincerely yours,

Yap Swee Seng Acting Executive Director

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Yap Swee Seng, Acting Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA, +60-122015272, [email protected]

Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrum, East Asia Programme Manager, FORUM-ASIA, +66-879914451, [email protected]

CC. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN

Mr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap, Special Assistant to the ASEAN Secretary-General

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Ms. Navanethem Pillay, High Commissioner, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Burma

Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma

Mr. Homayoun Alizadeh, OHCHR Regional Representative for Southeast Asia