Human right activist Khin Ohnmar of Burma, who last year was awarded the Anna Lindh Human Right Prize were – along with Cambodian fellow-activist Pen Somory – denied access to the opening of the ASEAN summit in Thailand Saturday.
In addition the two activists were barred from a meeting on human rights in the region, after the leaders of Burma and Cambodia threatened to walk out if they attended the meeting.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Scot Marciel called the incident “unfortunate’’ and NGO’s stats, that it again proved Burma would continue to hamstring the Association of Southeast Asian Nations if it remained a member of the bloc.
