July 29, 2007	Sunday	Rajab 13, 1428

MANILA: Southeast Asian nations were still at odds on Saturday over a proposed human rights commission and how to punish countries that fail to obey their regional bloc’s rules, diplomats said.

With negotiators racing to hammer out a draft of Asean’s first-ever charter before foreign ministers from the 10-nation group meet on Sunday, a long-sought agreement on some of the thorniest issues had not yet been reached.

Diplomats said there had been “lively discussions” on the contentious issues — a euphemism for the deep disagreements that have characterised nearly two years of talks between the member states.

One sticking point is how to handle fellow member Myanmar, where the ruling junta has shrugged off complaints about its rights record and resisted international pressure to restore democracy.

The bloc has agreed on most of the charter, which will help to turn the 40-year-old group into a rules-based organisation — somewhat along the lines of the European Union — that could set standards for member behaviour.But there are disputes over the rights commission and what force could be brought against Myanmar or any other member that did not follow the charter's new rules.

“There is a universal declaration of human rights in the charter of the United Nations,” said Alberto Romulo, foreign minister of the Philippines, one of Asean’s 10 member countries and the host of this week’s meetings.

“It’s a universal desire that there must be a human rights commission, and I believe that Asean can do no less,” he said. Myanmar has repeatedly embarrassed the Asean, who in turn have hesitated to violate the group’s cardinal rule of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.

In particular, the country’s long detainment of Nobel peace prize winner and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has drawn sanctions on the military regime as well as international criticism of Asean for not pressing the country harder.—AFP