Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi called on lawmakers to temper their behaviour in her opening speech at the 37th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Nay Pyi Taw on September 30.
As she told the ASEAN delegates, ASEAN aspires to be people-oriented and people-centred and it important for members of parliament to obey the rules.
Myanmar was hosting the annual event.
“In 1948, when Burma became independent we established a parliamentary democracy. But at that time we could say we were one of the foremost countries in Asia to have adopted parliamentary democracy. However, democracy is not always perfect and strong. Time and chance happened to us and we lost our parliamentary democratic system. Our commitment with endeavour and perseverance we again have started out on the road to a parliamentary democracy that truly reflects the will of the people. We wish to make this parliament a vibrant one,” she said.
The theme of the ASEAN assembly this year is “Vibrant AIPA for a progressive ASEAN community”, she said, and that she was confident that the delegates would do justice to the theme.
But she warned that sometimes lawmakers could be a little bit too vibrant. “So perhaps I should remind parliamentarians vibrancy requires a genuine sense of responsibility . . . May I remind all legislators that there is no greater honour than to be an elected representative of the people to discharge our responsivities to them, to stand for them against the challenges of our world, and to be able to say at the end of our time in office that we have truly done our duty by our people and by ourselves,” she said.
She stressed the importance of following the rules.
“Lawmakers cannot be lawbreakers,” she said. “They must know the rules and procedures of the parliaments that they serve and also the laws of the land. That they will truly be representative of the legislative branch of democratic government.”