 After decades of turning a blind eye to the Burmese junta's authoritarian abuses, south-east Asian countries announced yesterday that they could no longer defend the indefensible.
Malaysia's foreign minister, Syed Hamid Albar, the chairman of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), said the group's fortunes were being held hostage by Burma, which has refused to initiate a transition to democracy despite repeated pledges to do so.
"Asean now has reached a stage where it is not possible to defend its member when that member is not making an attempt to cooperate," Mr Syed Hamid said at a conference of Asean legislators.
| So take care of it. You don't need us. Handle this one yourselves. |
He also urged China and India - who are investing in Burma, with little regard to its human rights record - to further pressure the junta, and said that although Asean would not intervene in Burma it would approve of UN action.
| "We'd like someone else to do the heavy lifting." |
The UN security council has twice discussed Burma in the past few months, but Chinese objections prevent a formal resolution being passed. The Philippines president, Gloria Arroyo, has already stated she wants to see tougher global action.
| Don't you have problems closer to home, Gloria? |
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