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Published on February 21, 2008

Speaking at a press conference marking the end of a two-day Asean meeting hosted by Singapore, the chair of the Asean Standing Committee expressed hope that all members would ratify the charter prior to a leaders' summit at the end of this year.

He said each member country would appoint an ambassador to lead missions to Jakarta, the seat of the Asean Secretariat that is currently headed by former Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan.

Each of these envoys will have the power to make decisions on behalf of their respective governments, Yeo said.

Yeo said Surin would be looking to hire two more deputies to help with the new workload. All Asean leaders signed the charter last November in Singapore.

The aim is to make the regional grouping a more rules-based organisation.

Three more countries have ratified the charter, bringing the total to four.

The instrument of ratification from Burma and Laos was handed to Surin yesterday during a ceremony on the sidelines.

Singapore was the first country to ratify the charter followed by Brunei on February 15.

Once the charter is fully ratified, "all the things we wanted to do, we will be able to do", Yeo said.

Asean will establish terms of reference for a special committee tasked with looking into setting up an Asean human rights body and a mechanism to settle disputes.

But the move towards a rules-based society will not be smooth, observers fear.

Lawmakers in the Philip-pines said they would not ratify the charter unless Burma releases pro-opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and permits her to take part in national reconciliation and democratisation process. Burma said it would not permit Suu Kyi to stand for national election on grounds that a 1974 provision does not permit candidates running for public office to be married to foreign citizens.

Suu Kyi's British husband Michael Aris passed away in 1999 when she was under house arrest.

Rangoon has said its new charter will lead to a general election in 2010 and replace the 1988 version that was scrapped when the junta took power.

Yeo said the provision was somewhat "odd in this day and age" but added it was essentially a decision for the Burmese.  He said a number of Asean ministers were concerned about the integrity of the process and international concerns should be taken into account.

Don Pathan

The Nation

SINGAPORE