The Association of Southeast Asian Nations' chief urged Burma's authorities Sunday to avoid any "strong action" against growing anti-government protests, in hopes of avoiding violence.
"I hope the relevant authorities in Myanmar [Burma] will not take any strong action and turn the protests into a big confrontation," Asean Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told The Associated Press by telephone from Poland.
The 10-country Asean, which includes Burma, was concerned over the protests and its foreign ministers would likely take up the issue when they meet on September 27 in New York on the sidelines of an annual United Nations meeting, said Ong, who was to deliver a speech in Poland before flying to New York.
"Things are becoming more serious. However, I don't know what Asean foreign ministers can do at this stage," he said.
"I just hope the demonstrations remain peaceful, and I hope the authorities in Myanmar will find a way to handle the situation in a peaceful manner," he said.
Asean has long had a bedrock policy of not interfering in member countries' domestic affairs, although some liberal members have become more vocal with their criticisms of military-ruled Burma's dismal human rights record.
On Monday the Philippines reiterated its call for democratic reforms in Burma.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations "would like to see further improvement in democracy in Myanmar," said Ignacio Bunye, spokesman for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
"I believe that stand has not changed," he told reporters. "The president, the Philippines and some members of Asean have previously issued a very strong statement about what's happening in Myanmar."
The Philippines and Indonesia renewed criticisms of Burma on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings in Sydney, Australia earlier this month.
During a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Sydney, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo expressed Asean's concern over Burma's failure to abide by a roadmap to democracy it agreed to follow a decade ago, Romulo has said.
"It's now 10 or 11 years, and we are still waiting," Romulo said he told Rice. "There is now impatience in the Asean about the fact it's not working out the way we thought it would work out."
Asean's members are Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It admitted Burma in 1997, despite strong opposition from Western nations.
"I hope the relevant authorities in Myanmar [Burma] will not take any strong action and turn the protests into a big confrontation," Asean Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told The Associated Press by telephone from Poland.
The 10-country Asean, which includes Burma, was concerned over the protests and its foreign ministers would likely take up the issue when they meet on September 27 in New York on the sidelines of an annual United Nations meeting, said Ong, who was to deliver a speech in Poland before flying to New York.
"Things are becoming more serious. However, I don't know what Asean foreign ministers can do at this stage," he said.
"I just hope the demonstrations remain peaceful, and I hope the authorities in Myanmar will find a way to handle the situation in a peaceful manner," he said.
Asean has long had a bedrock policy of not interfering in member countries' domestic affairs, although some liberal members have become more vocal with their criticisms of military-ruled Burma's dismal human rights record.
On Monday the Philippines reiterated its call for democratic reforms in Burma.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations "would like to see further improvement in democracy in Myanmar," said Ignacio Bunye, spokesman for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
"I believe that stand has not changed," he told reporters. "The president, the Philippines and some members of Asean have previously issued a very strong statement about what's happening in Myanmar."
The Philippines and Indonesia renewed criticisms of Burma on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings in Sydney, Australia earlier this month.
During a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Sydney, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo expressed Asean's concern over Burma's failure to abide by a roadmap to democracy it agreed to follow a decade ago, Romulo has said.
"It's now 10 or 11 years, and we are still waiting," Romulo said he told Rice. "There is now impatience in the Asean about the fact it's not working out the way we thought it would work out."
Asean's members are Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It admitted Burma in 1997, despite strong opposition from Western nations.
