Obama pressed to confront Asean leaders on UN inquiry

Thursday, 23 September 2010 02:56 Ko Wild

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - A leader from Burma’s pro-democracy opposition is calling on US President Barack Obama to raise the issue of a United Nations commission of inquiry into crimes against humanity committed by Burma’s military junta with regional representatives thus far unsupportive of the measure.

Win Tin, a central executive committee member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), has urged the US president to take the initiative during an upcoming meeting with Southeast Asian leaders in New York.

In New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Obama and his Southeast Asian counterparts are scheduled to meet for about two hours tomorrow, discussing security matters, environmental issues, trade and investment, according to the White House.

It is unknown whether Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win will also attend the gathering.

“The junta ignored the people’s desires and the 1990 election result. This is a violation of human rights. So, they should support the organisation of a UN commission of inquiry to put the Burmese regime on trial at the International Criminal Court for its crimes against humanity,” Win Tin told Mizzima.

The establishment of a commission of inquiry has been gaining momentum, with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen on Tuesday telling Mizzima that the Netherlands will join the ranks of those supporting an investigation into crimes against humanity in Burma.

Australia, Britain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Hungary, New Zealand, Slovakia, the United States, and today, France, and have all voiced their support for the formation of such a commission of inquiry. No Southeast Asian government has yet to support the initiative.

Aung Din, executive director at US Campaign for Burma, added that he expected Obama and the US to dismiss the results of the forthcoming general election on November 7 in Burma, but that Asean countries may respond differently.

Obama last met Asean leaders as a group, including Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, last November in Singapore.

One issue sure to receive attention is the continuing dispute regarding territorial rights to all or part of the Spratly and Paracel island chains in the resource-rich South China Sea.

China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines each claim jurisdiction over at least a portion of the regions in question.