Two-day Asean summit to discuss Myanmar, North Korea developments | WPN World People News

Leaders of the Asean countries met Tuesday for a two-day annual summit that saw the historic elections in Myanmar and North Korean's planned missile launch dominate the agenda.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), meeting in the Cambodian capital, hailed the elections in Myanmar as transparent, free and as an "opportunity ... to make the reform process even more irreversible".

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy has won a landslide victory in the Myanmar by-elections.

The success of the polling has prompted Asean to recommend removal of sanctions against Myanmar.

"The lifting of sanctions would contribute positively to the democratic process and especially economic development of Myanmar," said Cambodia's secretary of state, Kao Kim Hourn.

Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said the vote should contribute to the "reintegration of Myanmar into the global community".

The Asean bloc comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

North Korea's planned rocket launch this month, which has been denounced by its neighbours and the US, was also condemned.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Asean foreign ministers were united in their criticism of North Korea's launch plans.

The Philippines has lodged a formal protest with Pyongyang's representatives at the United Nations, in China and at Asean.

The bloc aims to become a European Union-like grouping by 2015. Surin Pitsuwan said the group is "on track" to meet the deadline.

Source: Asia Pacific News.Net