Myanmar's military government broke its promise to democratize by barring opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from upcoming elections, the Philippines said Monday, urging Southeast Asian countries to push the junta to rescind a slate of new elections laws. Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo's comments are unusual for a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which usually refrain from criticizing other members. But the Philippines has been more vocal in its condemnation of Myanmar, and this is not the first time it has expressed displeasure with the junta's recently announced election laws, which were denounced by a number of countries, including the United States. Romulo said he will ask fellow ASEAN ministers when they meet in an annual summit in Vietnam next month to prod Myanmar to consider rescinding the new election laws and rapidly enforce a long-standing promise to implement a “roadmap to democracy,” a package of reforms that is supposed to ensure free and credible elections. “It's contrary to the roadmap to democracy that they have pledged to ASEAN and to the world,” Romulo told reporters. “It's their own pledge and promise.” ASEAN has yet to issue an official reaction to the new elections laws. Romulo said he will raise his concerns when he meets Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win, who promised to attend a two-day ministerial conference in Manila this week. This year's elections in Myanmar will be the first poll since 1990, when Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory. The junta ignored the results of that vote and has kept Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, jailed or under detention for 14 of the past 20 years. The Philippines has repeatedly called for her release.
