ASEAN should rethink non-interference policy amid Myanmar crisis, Malaysia FM says
The Hindu
Non-interference had contributed to ASEAN's inability to make effective decisions quickly, says Saifuddin Abdullah
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should rethink its decades-long policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states, amid a worsening human rights crisis in Myanmar, Malaysia's top diplomat said on Thursday.
The 10-member bloc on Friday made an unprecedented move to exclude the leader of Myanmar's junta from an upcoming regional summit, over a lack of progress on a peace plan it agreed to with ASEAN in April. A non-political figure from Myanmar will be invited instead.
The decision - which sources said was pushed by Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines - was a rare bold step for ASEAN, which has traditionally favoured consensus and engagement over criticism of member nations.
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