From: hrcoord@igc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: SOUTH-EAST ASIA: HUMAN RIGHTS-AID L
Date: 30 Jul 92 17:55:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700297:000:5223
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Jul 30 10:55:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: SOUTH-EAST ASIA: HUMAN RIGHTS-AID L

/* Written 12:03 am  Jul 30, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: SOUTH-EAST ASIA: HUMAN RIGHTS-AID LINK DEBATED IN ASEAN MEETINGS


an inter press service feature

by ramon isberto

manila, jul 27 (ips) -- sharp disagreements over human rights in
recent talks between the association of south-east asian nations
(asean) and major western nations were a fresh reminder for
developing countries that the world's aid donors were becoming more
and more conditionality-minded.

the most pointed exchanges during last week's meetings between
the asean foreign ministers and their counterparts from seven rich
countries were over burma and indonesia.

u.s. state secretary james baker said that, given the military
regime's dismal human rights record, the u.n. general assembly
should repeat its resolution last year censuring burma, which now
calls itself 'myanmar'.

''we should all do what we can to ... try and effectuate change
there,'' baker said.

in contrast, thai foreign minister arsa sarasin said recent
releases of political prisoners by rangoon and the loosening of
restrictions on opposition leader aung san suu kyi were ''positive
developments''.

''i think things are going in the right direction,'' he said,
adding that asean would continue its policy of 'constructive
engagement' with rangoon.

for asean, much closer to home was the case of indonesia, which
came under worldwide criticism after indonesian army troops last
year fired on demonstrators in east timor, a former portuguese
colony until it was annexed by indonesia in 1976.

a member of the european community (ec), portugal vetoed a new
economic cooperation agreement now under negotiation between the ec
and asean.

in manila, portuguese deputy foreign minister j.m. durao-barroso
said lisbon would not withdraw its opposition to the new treaty --
which is meant to replace a 1980 pact -- until jakarta undertakes
''fundamental changes'' in its current policy towards east timor.

since the indonesians are not expected to oblige the portuguese,
the new asean-ec economic agreement is likely to be frozen for some
time.

so far, the indonesians have kept international outrage over the
east timor massacre from harming its efforts to secure foreign aid.
in mid-july, jakarta got aid pledges worth 4.75 billion dollars from
a new consortium of international aid donors chaired by the world
bank. (more/ips)



south-east asia: human rights (2)

this consortium replaces the inter-governmental group on
indonesia, an aid coalition chaired by the netherlands. jakarta
abandoned the group after the dutch suspended their aid programme to
indonesia because of the east timor killings. the new consortium
raised no human rights conditionalities.

indeed, opinion among donor governments and agencies on the
wisdom of tying human rights to aid programmes is far from
unanimous.

britain, which has assumed the ec presidency, and the european
commission are said to be unhappy about portugal's stand against a
new asean-ec agreement.

british foreign secretary douglas hurd was at pains to stress
that the ec was not out to impose its values on human rights, but
rather was seeking common understanding on ''share values'' as
spelled out by the united nations' universal declaration on human
rights.

still, ec commissioner abel matutes warned the community was
''more and more linking the issue of human rights to cooperation''
(meaning, development aid) with developing countries.

as durao-barroso stressed, linking human rights with development
assistance was a community policy stated in a policy declaration by
the ec council's in november 1991.

but while the europeans are perhaps the most emphatic in raising
human rights, they are not the only ones. nor are human rights the
only concern being raised by aid donors.

both the international monetary fund and the world bank have been
talking of the need for developing countries to slash military
budgets to free more resources for basic needs like education and
health.

this has fed fears that the bretton woods institutions may
eventually make arms reductions a condition for lending to
developing countries in the future.

one of the more prominent advocates of this arms-for-aid linkage
is former world bank president robert mcnamara who said such a
policy should be an essential part of the post-cold war
international order. (more/ips)



south-east asia: human rights (3)

in its 1990 human development report, the united nations
development programme (undp) urged that the ratio of military to
social expenditure should be one of the criteria for external
assistance.

the countries most at risk under such a policy would be south
asian giants of india and pakistan, which both face massive poverty
problems and maintain fat defence budgets.

at odds since independence from british rule, both countries are
among the world's biggest arms buyers, spending much more on the
military than on hospitals and schools. (end/ips/ri/cb/92)