Members of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar [Burma] Caucus cautiously welcomed the Asean foreign ministers’ agreement to create a regional human rights commission, but expressed doubt on Tuesday about the impact such a body might have on human rights in Burma.

Asean foreign ministers agreed on the establishment of a regional human rights body on Monday, which will be included in the Asean Charter to be finalized in November.
 

Burma has long been an embarrassment to most Asean members because of its poor human rights record and lack of progress in moving toward democratization. The lack of a strong Asean policy o­n Burma has affected its relations with the US and EU.
 

“If what we have in mind is a meaningful human rights mechanism, then it should have a minimum of powers to ensure that all Asean governments uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Lim Kit Siang, the chairman of the Malaysian opposition Democratic Action Party and a member of the Malaysian Parliament, told The Irrawaddy. “Unless such human rights law can be upheld, then the human rights mechanism for Asean would not be meaningful.”
 

“We have to be vigilant to ensure that the HR mechanism will not be diluted and lose its meaning,” he said.
 

At present, the proposed policy does not provide for any censure or restriction mechanism, and continues the former Asean policy of non-interference in members’ internal affairs.
 

Lim Kit Siang said it is too early to tell whether the Asean charter will be formulated in a manner in which it’s possible to push forward a democratization process in Burma. He called the proposed mechanism a step in the right direction.
 

Teresa Kok, also a member of the Malyasian Parliament and the secretary of AIPMC, said, “I don’t think that Myanmar [Burma] can improve its human rights situation, but I do hope that Asean heads of states will discuss human rights issues and the situation in Burma.”
 

“When Asean says it’s going to set up a human rights organisation, what type of function and structure is it going to be?” Teresa Kok asked. “And will this help to elevate or improve the human rights condition in the Asean region?”
 

She expressed concern that the Asean human rights body might end up like the Malaysian Human Rights Commission which has no executive power and serves only as an advisory body.