Press Release
May 7, 2008

SENATE CONVEYS SYMPATHY TO MYANMAR, CALLS FOR HUMANITARIAN AID TO DISASTER VICTIMS

The Senate yesterday called for the sending by the Philippines of humanitarian aid, specifically in the form of a medical mission, to Myanmar in the wake of the massive devastation wrought by tropical cyclone Nargis, which killed about 22,000 persons and rendering millions homeless.

Acting on the motion of Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban), the Senate unanimously approved a resolution expressing its sympathy to the people of Myanmar, which is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"It is incumbent upon us to express our sympathies to the people of Myanmar and urge our government to show these sympathies in a more concrete manner," Pimentel said.

At the same time, the minority leader urged the Arroyo government to express the country's concern that the May 10 referendum for the approval of a new Constitution of Myanmar should be free so that the will of the people will be respected.

He made the suggestion in view of reports that Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders have been barred by the ruling military junta of Myanmar from participating in the public discussions about the issues related to the proposed Constitution.

Pimentel said there is sufficient reason to support the position of the European Union, as well as the United Nations Security Council, that all the political players of Myanmar should be allowed to participate in the discussion of the issues connected with the referendum to approve the Constitution of Myanmar.

He said that while the ruling junta should fulfill with its commitment as an ASEAN member to restore democracy in Myanmar, there is a lot of apprehension whether this will be realized. He said the ruling junta apparently wants to make sure that a certain number of seats in the parliament should come from the ranks of the military.

"We would like to suggest that we express our concern that the process of the referendum in Myanmar should be free because, to the best of our information, there is no such freedom. People are being arrested when they speak out and there is no freedom of assembly that is guaranteed even during the period of the referendum," Pimentel said.

He recalled even at the height of the authoritarian rule of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos in the country, he allowed public debates on the issues involved when there were amendments to the Constitution that had to be approved by the people in a national plebiscite.

Reacting to the reminder by some senators that the Philippines should refrain from intervening in the internal political affairs of another country, Pimentel said "the principle of non-interference does not hold water when our neighbor's house is on fire."

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