Nyan Win told his ASEAN counterparts that Myanmar will finish the National Convention to set guidelines for a constitution in two months
- From: Chim <ChimS1@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:00:48 -0700
Monday July 30, 12:00 AM
LEAD: Myanmar to finish National Convention in 2 months
(Kyodo) _ (EDS: UPDATING)
Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win told his ASEAN counterparts Sunday
that Myanmar will finish the National Convention to set guidelines for
a constitution, part of the country's road map to democracy, in two
months.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo told a new conference that
Nyan Win said in a statement during an informal dinner session of
ASEAN foreign ministers "that they are on the road to democracy and
that on July 18 they started the convention and hope to finish
discussions within two months."
Nyan Win also said that after the convention Myanmar "will move on to
the drafting of the constitution, and then eventually a referendum,"
Romulo said.
"The convention they say will end two months from now, and then they
will start drafting the constitution," said Romulo, chair of this
year's meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations.
Romulo also said he reiterated the Philippines' call for Myanmar to
speed up the return of democracy in the country, especially the
release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the prolonged
house arrest.
"Several of us expressed our desire, our dream, our hope that Suu Kyi
will be released," he said. "We want to see more acceleration in the
process. We want to see that the road map to democracy which
encompasses all the stakeholders in Myanmar is part of it."
"I sensed some impatience in the members. We insisted that it's time
to release Suu Kyi, and that in the spirit of reconciliation all the
stakeholders be made part of the process. This was repeated by several
speakers and so I sensed that there is impatience, there is
frustration up to now," he said.
The ASEAN foreign ministers began their annual meeting Sunday to
discuss issues including democratization in Myanmar and a proposed
ASEAN Charter.
The ministers will continue their meeting Monday to discuss other
issues, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the
proposed ASEAN Charter that will put a legal face on the 40-year-old,
10-member grouping.
On Monday, they are also expected to adopt a plan of action to guide
the future implementation of the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free
Zone treaty "to ensure that we are able to respond to the evolving
internal and external challenges and opportunities," according to the
latest draft of the Joint Communique of the 40th ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting to be adopted at the end of their meeting Monday.
The plan of action, crafted to monitor the implementation of the 10-
year-old treaty, draws up "tangible plans and benchmarks" that ASEAN
plans to take in the next five years to strengthen the implementation
of the SEANWFZ.
"This will also guarantee that the treaty continues to make a
strategic contribution to regional peace and stability, and towards
strengthening the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
regimes," the draft joint communique says.
On the Korean Peninsula, the communique says the ministers are
expected to welcome North Korea's shutting down of its key nuclear
facilities in Yongbyon under the framework of the six-party talks.
The draft communique says the ministers welcome North Korea's
announcement "that it shall earnestly implement its commitments to a
complete declaration of all nuclear programs and disablement of all
nuclear facilities."
"This positive development should be utilized as a strong drive in
efforts to promote sustainable peace and security in the region," it
says.
However, the ministers will stress "the importance of addressing the
humanitarian needs" in North Korea.
On the South China Sea, the communique says the foreign ministers will
stress the need "to intensify efforts to move forward the
implementation" of the Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the
South China Sea signed by ASEAN and China in 2002 and eventually
conclude a Regional Code of Conduct in the sea.
There have been territorial disputes in the South China Sea, most
notably around the Spratly Islands, which are claimed in full or in
part by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
On Iraq, the draft says the foreign ministers will voice "deep concern
over the continued instability in Iraq."
"We believe that the phased and calibrated withdrawal of foreign
forces in Iraq taking into account the conditions on the ground, will
contribute towards bringing normalcy," it says.
The ministers will also urge the Iraqi government "to pursue efforts
towards national reconciliation," it says.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
.
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