SINGAPORE (AP): Myanmar gave its full backing Monday to a landmark Southeast Asian charter that will create an agency to review the region's human rights after drafters took out references to punishing violators.
Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations approved the regional constitution, which will be signed by their countries' leaders at an annual summit Tuesday.
Myanmar, one of the 10 members of ASEAN, was pleased with the charter - which took 2 1/2 years to seal - despite calls for a human rights arm that could focus on abuses by its junta, Myanmar's senior diplomat U Aung Bwa told The Associated Press.
"We have a very good charter. I think everybody should be happy. It's quite balanced," U Aung Bwa said in an interview, adding he didn't believe Myanmar's internal problems should be the subject of intense scrutiny at the four-day summit.
The long-overdue ASEAN Charter is aimed at formally turning the 40-year-old organization - often derided as a powerless talk shop - into a rules-based legal entity. That means ASEAN can sue and be sued, and will be held accountable for all the treaties and agreements it signs.
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