ASEAN to create human rights commission

BANGKOK, July 23 (UPI) -- A human rights forum is to be set up by the Association of South East Asian Nations, the organization said at the end of its meeting in Thailand.

The announcement comes after a war of words between the United States, Myanmar and North Korea over human rights and nuclear issues, in particular Myanmar's continuing incarceration and ongoing trial of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya called the ASEAN meeting a success in a final news conference in the resort of Phuket. The ASEAN Regional Forum is the main annual security meeting of the 10 member countries.

Piromya pointed to the human rights forum and an agreement among member states to set up closer regional security measures as part of that success although no details were given, according to a report by the Thai News Agency.

However, each state will appoint a national representative to the human rights commission in time for its formal establishment at the ASEAN Summit in Phuket on Oct. 23-25. "The launching of this important body will be a testimony to our resolve to make ASEAN a community of peoples," said Piromya.

Before the Phuket forum, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told the Bangkok Post newspaper that economic issues were most on the mind for his discussions with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her stopover in Bangkok.

Vejjajiva said he would not bring up allegations over a secret prison in Thailand that, according to a Washington Post report, was where the CIA interrogated and tortured terrorists captured in Pakistan in 2002.

Local Bangkok media were quick to pick up comments concerning Myanmar by Clinton during her Bangkok visit before flying on to Phuket.

Clinton told Thai television that ASEAN should kick out Myanmar unless its military government releases Nobel laureate Suu Kyi and recognizes her National League for Democracy's landslide election win in 1990. Suu Kyi has been under arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.

But the Thai prime minister later rejected Clinton's call for expulsion as well as imposing sanctions on Myanmar similar to those used by the United States and the European Union.

"There are not enough grounds to do that," said Vejjajiva. "We have already done what we can under the ASEAN mechanism. If Myanmar is expelled it will further isolate (the regime) and would that solve the problem?"

He called ASEAN's policy "constructive engagement" and that he hopes the United States will understand. However, he did urge Myanmar to consider Clinton's concerns.

There was also a meeting between U.S. officials and a Myanmar delegation this week, media reported.

A North Korean delegation attending the ASEAN meeting took time out to respond to Clinton's remarks earlier in the week when she discussed North Korea's nuclear program. She compared dealing with North Korea as similar to dealing with small children. "I don't give in," she told ABC television.

A North Korean delegate said "sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping."

Vietnam takes over the ASEAN chairmanship from Thailand at the end of the year.

Also this week, Thai government statistics showed tourism is down 22 percent on last year, the largest drop in nearly half a century, partly because of flu concerns.

Thailand now expects 11 million visitors this year instead of the forecasted 14.1 million.

Tourism Council of Thailand Chairman Kongkit Hiranyakij said the global economic crisis and the country's continuing political turmoil had contributed to the fall. The outbreak of the so-called swine flu, or A(H1N1) flu, could cut back tourist numbers by up to 4 percent, he said.