Europe stresses human rights at meeting with Asean

Europe stressed the importance of human rights at a meeting with Southeast Asian nations yesterday, an issue that has caused some problems in relations between the regions.

Differences over rights policies in Myanmar in particular have diverted attention from other subjects and had to be papered over in the past to maintain EU and Asian dialogues about increasing economic and diplomatic ties, like the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) series.

Asian nations, such as those in Asean (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), tend to take a softer approach on rights issues than Europe, especially in pressuring Asean member Myanmar for reform.

Myanmar is run by a military junta and has kept opposition leaders in detention, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Human rights, democratic principles and good governance should be promoted in all aspects of EC policy dialogue and development co-operation" with Asean and its members, a European Commission statement circulated at the 15th Asean-European Union ministerial meeting said.

In an article written for the Jakarta Post yesterday, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner singled out Myanmar for not making progress in areas of European concern.

Refering to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, she said: "We cannot condone those countries where these values are not respected, not only as a matter of principle, but also because we consider such countries to be serious security threats."

While several countries in the region have moved ahead, Ferrero-Waldner added: "To my dismay the junta in Myanmar seems content to remain an exception to this trend. I regret that this issue still casts a shadow over EU-Asean relations."

Security and dealing with terrorism are also on the agenda of the meeting, which in addition to Ferrero-Waldner is being attended by several foreign ministers from European and Asean. Myanmar's was among those absent.

A line in the European statement at the conference said without elaborating that when it came to fighting terrorism:

" ... the EU is prepared to assist countries in taking measures against international terrorism without prejudice to the respect by the countries concerned of basic human rights principles and peaceful political opposition."

The statement also said the EU was "ready to continue support to actions in the area of conflict prevention and conflict settlement".

Host country Indonesia has been fighting simmering conflicts against separatists in Aceh province at the western end of its borders and Papua at the eastern extreme.

Asean groups Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.