Asean Avoids Criticizing Myanmar
Agence France-Presse
04/08/2010
Straits Times
Original Source: – HYPERLINK http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/0302/Bluster-at-UN-Human-Rights-Council-as-US-and-Iran-trade-barbs http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_512065.html

SOUTH-EAST Asian ministers meeting at a regional summit said on Thursday they quizzed Myanmar over its controversial election plans, but stopped short of criticising the ruling junta.
Myanmar plans to hold its first elections in two decades later this year, but new laws that effectively ban detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from taking part have led her party to boycott the vote.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers met late on Wednesday ahead of the bloc's summit, and said the issue of holding free and fair polls was raised with their Myanmar counterpart Nyan Win.
'We were not criticising him or lecturing him or telling him what to do. We were just making observations and suggestions and he took them in a good spirit,' said Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo.
'The coming months will be critical months for Myanmar,' Mr Yeo said, but added: 'In the end, what happens in Myanmar is for the Myanmar people to decide. We are outsiders... we hope that they would make progress quickly.' Under the electoral laws, Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy would have to expel her in order to participate in the vote because she is serving a prison term.
Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said the body was 'giving the full expression of support to what Myanmar wants to do', but said the ruling generals were aware that its rights record continues to haunt Asean. Indonesia has been one of Asean's most outspoken members on Myanmar's failure to shift to democracy and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa called on its rulers to live up to their promises over the long-awaited polls.