KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20: Southeast Asian lawmakers on Monday said Asean must pursue diplomatic efforts to push economic giants China and India to help realise political reforms in Myanmar.

“Asean needs to do more to ensure a speedy and sustainable solution for Myanmar. A key step would be to more actively engage China and other regional partners on reforms in Myanmar,” Zaid Ibrahim, president of the three-year-old Asean Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar (AIPMC) said.

“China has a great deal of influence on the Myanmar authorities. If Myanmar continues to deteriorate, all of us are going to suffer, not just Asean but also China and the rest of East Asia, India and the rest of South Asia,” the Malaysian lawmaker said.

Zaid, a member of Malaysia’s ruling party, said Asean’s credibility hinges on its ability to be able to solve the issue of Myanmar.

“A domestic problem (in Myanmar) has grown as a result of our inaction, to hurt us all – in terms of security, economic and international reputation,” he said.

Lawmakers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) – have joined the caucus which was formed in 2004 to push for democratic reforms in Myanmar.

The group held it gathering on the sidelines of the five-day conference of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly attended by some 300 lawmakers.

Charles Chong, Singapore’s AIPMC chapter chairman said Asean along with China and India could form a triangle to pressure and persuade Myanmar to bring about reforms.“Asean is in a unique position to form a bridge between India and China. Asean can create a triangle of influence that will proactively and pressure Myanmar to deliver genuine reforms,” he said.

Chong, a member of Singapore’s ruling government, said AIPMC intends to send a petition to the governments of China and India to encourage them to actively engage Myanmar or reforms.

“The people of Myanmar cannot afford to wait for another 40 years for reforms, and frankly neither can we,” he said.

Other members of the Asean Inter-parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) meeting here said Asean must do more to secure the release of jailed Aung San Suu Kyi and called diplomatic sanctions and for Asean companies not to invest in the pariah state.

Djoko Susilo, chairman of Indonesia’s AIPMC chairman said Asean countries could stop investing in Myanmar and downgrade diplomatic relations to press the Myanmar government to bring about reforms.

“I think we should not send any envoys to Myanmar. This is something we can do to downgrade our relations,” he said.—AFP