Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the current chairman of the 10-member regional grouping, said Asean still had exchanges at all levels with the Myanmar Government.
"We learn their point of view, what they are doing and we take note of concerns raised by international communities. This approach is more productive than sanctions or alienating them further," he told a news conference after opening the 42nd Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting here.
In fact, Myanmar briefed Asean Leaders during the 14th Asean Summit last February where they showed commitment to release a number of political prisoners, he said, adding that Asean would continue to assess and review the situation there.
"Whether the progress is satisfactory to any country is another matter. We will continue to talk. Even UN Secretary-General (Ban Kim Moon) adopted this (approach)...although he was disappointed with a number of things," Abhisit said, referring to Ban's visit to Myanmar this month where he was denied access to democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Asked what Asean would do if Suu Kii was found guilty at her ongoing trial for "harbouring" an American while under house arrest, Abhisit said it was too early to speculate on the outcome.
"We can't speculate about the trial, clearly the Myanmar government has insisted it's a court matter. But we will look at legal possibilities, we can't interfere in the internal process. But we will see other options," he said.
On the Asean Inter-Govermental Commission on Human Rights, Abhisit said it was a good start although many critics considered it as toothless without any provision on protection or sanction of abuses.
"We want to make a start, with three principles -- credibility, realistic and evolutionary. Better make a start than no progress at all."
When asked how Asean expected such a body to be effective when members like Myanmar could ignore the United Nations, he said he believed that there would be more responses in the future and the country was ready to achieve goals set up by the road map, including having a general election next year.
He also said that Thailand, which is facing insurgency in the southern provinces where more than 3,500 people have died in the past five years, was ready to have a regional human rights commission investigating any alleged human rights abuses.
"First of all, we have an independent human rights commission, we are a very open country and there are right groups working in Thailand. They monitor human rights and submit reports which we take seriously," he said - Bernama
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*****************Myanmar detains Suu Kyi's party members***************************
Myanmar authorities detained around 20 members of imprisoned Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party Sunday as they headed back from events to mark her father's death, an official said.
Around 300 members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) had gathered amid tight security, witnesses said, to pay tribute to the country's independence champion General Aung San, who was assassinated on July 19, 1947.
The authorities allowed around 50 party members to march peacefully to Martyr's Mausoleum in Yangon to pay tribute, but a number were detained on their return, an official told AFP.
"About 20 NLD members were detained for cautioning on their way back. They will be released after cautioning," he said.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who was aged two when her father died, marked the day at Insein prison, where she is on trial on charges of violating her house arrest rules after an American man swam uninvited to her home in May.
"We sent food for 330 people at the prison hospital on behalf of Daw Suu to mark Martyr's Day today," said Nyan Win, her lawyer and spokesman for the NLD.
The opposition party used the occasion to reiterate calls for the release of all political prisoners including the Nobel Laureate whose trial, which resumes on Friday, has provoked international outrage.
Officials of the military-ruled nation also marked the day with a small ceremony at the mausoleum in memory of the general, who was killed a few months before the country became independent from Britain.
Yangon Mayor, Brigadier General Aung Thein Linn, some government officials and family members of late leaders attended the 62nd anniversary event near the famous Shwedagon pagoda.
Witnesses said that more than ten trucks were stationed by the mausoleum check point, while more than 100 plain-clothed police officers were taking photos and video taping outside the NLD headquarters nearby.
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