ASEAN inter-parliamentary chief says protests augur well for Myanmar
By Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Bureau Chief Melissa Goh | Posted: 26 September 2007 0129 hrs

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KUALA LUMPUR : The head of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus said recent events in Myanmar augurs well for the future of the country.

Mr Ibrahim Zaid, the president of the caucus, was asked about the latest situation in Myanmar.

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus was formed in 2004 to push for democratic reforms in Myanmar.

On the latest developments in Myanmar, Mr Ibrahim said a similar protest occurred in 1988.

"They voted but they were denied the government they wanted. Then for many years people were wondering when will there be this surge of support, opposition to the military regime?

"Now we have it. Yes, I am surprised by the number, by the cohesiveness of the group. It is not just the monks, it is civilians as well. This augurs well for the future of the country," he added.

Mr Ibrahim said ASEAN member countries used to said let Myanmar sort its own problems by themselves.

He said: "Now they have, you cannot just stand by. You cannot just wait for another massacre, another round of killings, and then we start talking about diplomacy again. This is 20 years overdue.

"I think ASEAN must do something immediately, fly in ministers to talk things over, bring in all the attention of the world community to this problem."

Mr Ibrahim said it was important for ASEAN as a group to impress on the international community the grave consequences of the latest events in Myanmar. - CNA/de