Civil Society Responds to Indonesia: Burma is Not Ready to Chair ASEAN

On 18 October, the Task Force on ASEAN and Burma (TFAB), a network of Burma’s exiled civil society groups, sent an open letter to Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to call on ASEAN to delay its decision regarding Burma’s bid for the bloc’s chairmanship in […]

RI to assess development in Myanmar

Along with the government, the House of Representatives will assess the latest developments in Myanmar before deciding on whether to accept Myanmar’s bid for the chairmanship of ASEAN at the Bali Summit next month.

Deputy Chairman of the House’s Commission I on foreign affairs, TB Hasanuddin, said that his commission had set a meeting with the Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, in order to assess the situation in Myanmar, including the progress that the country had made in terms of democratization […]

Open Letter to Indonesian Government as the Chair of ASEAN on Gross Human Rights Violations in Burma

Your Excellency,

We, members of the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA, a network of Asian civil society organisations engaged intergovernmental processes at the sub-regional, regional and international level, working on various issues of public interest), write to you today, in view of the fact that Indonesia is currently serving as the Chair of ASEAN, to share our continued concern about gross human rights violations in Burma/Myanmar ahead of your mission to the country on 26 October 2011 […]

RI told to delay ASEAN decision on Myanmar chair bid

The ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) called on current ASEAN chair Indonesia to delay agreeing on Myanmar becoming ASEAN chair in 2014 until the country showed real progress in democratization.

Observers and stakeholders are speculating that during the ASEAN summit in Bali next month, ASEAN leaders will agree to grant Myanmar the grouping’s chair […]

Letter to the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. R.M. Marty M. Natalegawa

We write today, on behalf of the Task Force on ASEAN and Burma (TFAB), in response to your 19 September statement that you would “be keen to listen and to hear the voice of civil society” on whether Burma should be granted the chairmanship of ASEAN. We thank you for […]

Asean to Listen to Suu Kyi as Burma Seeks Chair

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will weigh the opinion of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as it considers whether to invite Burma to chair the regional grouping in 2014, Indonesia’s foreign minister told The Associated Press.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa also said Indonesia’s own transformation from its authoritarian regime to democracy in a decade could offer lessons to Burma, one of the world’s most sanctioned nations because of its poor human rights record […]

Burma due for ASEAN assembly recognition

Naypyidaw will send a delegation to Cambodia this month where the annual summit of the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is expected to officially recognise Burma as a member.

Around 14 parliamentarians will travel to Phnom Penh for the event, scheduled for 18 August. Dr Aye Maung, chairman of the parliamentary Guarantees, Pledges and Undertakings Vetting Committee, told DVB that the event will include a ceremony to hand over Burma’s national flag […]

Letter: Myanmar should not chair ASEAN

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) deeply regrets a statement made by Rafendi Djamin, Indonesia’s representative to ASEAN’s Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), as reported by The Jakarta Post on July 19: “ … giving Myanmar a chance [to chair ASEAN] could encourage the country to show ASEAN and the world that it is committed to improving its national situation” […]

Panel will start work on a rights declaration

The Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights is taking shape as a panel will start discussions on drafting a declaration on human rights for the Southeast Asian region during a meeting in Vientiane next Monday […]

First Press Release of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children

The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was inaugurated on 7 April 2010 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, in the occasion of the 16th ASEAN Summit. The establishment of the ACWC is aimed at, among others, promoting the well-being, development and participation of women and children in ASEAN […]