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SINGAPORE: ASEAN plans to use its moral authority to get all political parties in Myanmar to engage in a genuine dialogue.
Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said this on Saturday, after visiting the historic Burmese Buddhist Temple to express his solidarity with the people of Myanmar.
The temple at the Balestier Road area houses a Buddha statue which was shipped from Myanmar to Singapore almost a century ago.
With such a long-standing relationship, Mr Yeo said many Singaporeans naturally feel an affection for Myanmar.
And there was an outpouring of sympathy for Myanmar nationals in Singapore during the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar in September.
One month on, the crackdown shows no signs of abating.
And as the call for international intervention grows louder each day, Mr Yeo went to the temple to lend a ear to the Myanmar nationals' call for help.
During a half-hour dialogue with Mr Yeo, Myanmar nationals conveyed their concerns for the safety of their loved ones back home.
They also asked if the Singapore Foreign Ministry could put forward their petition for a peaceful resolution of the Myanmar crisis to the UN Secretary-General, something which Mr Yeo said he could look into.
"The arrests, the torturing are still going on. We're very worried, and we want Singapore and ASEAN to make a genuine dialogue happen, a dialogue between Aung San Su Kyi and the generals, so they can come up with a solution that's acceptable to both sides," said Wunna, a Myanmar national who has been a Singapore Permanent Resident for four years.
Minister Yeo agreed that there should be a genuine dialogue in Myanmar.
He said: "The key now is to have a genuine dialogue in Myanmar among all parties - the government, the NLD's Aung San Su Kyi, the minority groups - so that national reconciliation can be achieved. A genuine dialogue, and not just for show.
"I explained that while we in ASEAN have limited economic leverage, we do have a certain moral influence because Myanmar is part of the ASEAN family, and being a member of the family, the other members do have a certain authority to have a certain say. That's what being a part of the family means."
And this "moral authority" is likely to be asserted during the ASEAN Summit next month, which will also involve China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.
Mr Yeo expects Myanmar to be an issue of discussion at the Summit.
He is confident the Myanmar government will attend and sign the ASEAN Charter so as not to be excluded from it.
For now, Mr Yeo called for maximum support for the UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari whom he calls a 'catalyst' to bring together the various parties in Myanmar. - CNA/ir
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