Pressure building on Myanmar to decline ASEAN chair
{{date|March 31, 2005}}
[[Image:Flag of Myanmar.svg|thumb|right|The [[w:UN|UN]] special envoy to Myanmar, [[w:Tan Sri Razali Ismail|Tan Sri Razali Ismail]], has backed moves by [[w:Malaysia|Malaysian]] lawmakers earlier this week against Myanmar's chairing.]]
Pressure is building on [[w:Myanmar|Myanmar]] to decline next years revolving [[w:ASEAN|ASEAN]] chair due to its human rights record. The [[w:US|US]] [[w:US Senate|Senate]] Majority Whip [[w:Mitch McConnell|Mitch McConnell]], has said that the USA should boycott ASEAN meetings next year if Myanmar takes the chair.

The [[w:UN|UN]] special envoy to Myanmar, [[w:Tan Sri Razali Ismail|Tan Sri Razali Ismail]], has backed moves by [[w:Malaysia|Malaysian]] lawmakers earlier this week against Myanmar's chairing, saying "The UN is always on the side of democracy. It supports the principles these people are pushing and these principles are very important for all governments to adhere to,"

“I don’t think there’s any attempt to punish Myanmar but to make them understand ASEAN is guided by certain principles in order to be a member or in order to be leading ASEAN for a certain period,”

Filipino legislators are also following Malaysian lawmakers, and are expected to propose that all member countries adopt a stand on Myanmar when ASEAN legislators meet in an Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in [[w:Manila|Manila]] on April 3.

==Sources==

*{{source|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/30/national/w153540S62.DTL 
|title=Senator Urges Boycott of Myanmar-Led ASEAN
|author=Ken Guggenheim
|pub=SFGate.com
|date=March 31, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/3/31/nation/10555130&sec=nation
|title=Razali: UN will take note of motion by MPs on Myanmar
|author=
|pub=The Star
|date=March 31, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_31-3-2005_pg4_27 
|title=UN envoy supports ASEAN on Myanmar
|author= 
|pub=Daily Times
|date=March 31, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2005/March/theworld_March799.xml&section=theworld
|title=Myanmar cannot resist tide of democracy: UN envoy
|author=
|pub=Khaleej Times
|date=March 31, 2005}}

{{archive}}
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Myanmar]]
[[Category:ASEAN]]
[[Category:Published]]
[[Category:Philippines]]
[[Category:Malaysia]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Mitch McConnell]]
UN special envoy to Myanmar, Tan Sri Razali Ismail, has backed moves by Malaysian lawmakers earlier this week against Myanmar's chairing.
Pressure is building on Myanmar to decline next years revolving ASEAN chair due to its human rights record. The US Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, has said that the USA should boycott ASEAN meetings next year if Myanmar takes the chair.

The UN special envoy to Myanmar, Tan Sri Razali Ismail, has backed moves by Malaysian lawmakers earlier this week against Myanmar's chairing, saying "The UN is always on the side of democracy. It supports the principles these people are pushing and these principles are very important for all governments to adhere to,"

“I don’t think there’s any attempt to punish Myanmar but to make them understand ASEAN is guided by certain principles in order to be a member or in order to be leading ASEAN for a certain period,”

Filipino legislators are also following Malaysian lawmakers, and are expected to propose that all member countries adopt a stand on Myanmar when ASEAN legislators meet in an Inter-Parliamentary Union conference in Manila on April 3.

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Asia Myanmar ASEAN Published Philippines Malaysia United States North America Mitch McConnell