ASEAN and Japan show concern over Myanmar<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (Agencies): U.S. envoys sent to Asia to warn that
\nMyanmar is a destabilizing force in the region have reported that
\nSoutheast Asian nations and Japan share fundamental U.S. concerns
\nabout Burma, the White House said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
U.S. special envoys Stanley Roth and William Brown had visited
\nJapan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and
\nThailand June 10-17 seeking a coordinated response to political
\ndevelopments in Myanmar.<\/p>\n
They returned to report that ASEAN, the region's foremost
\neconomic and political grouping, and Japan \"shared fundamental
\nU.S. concerns on Myanmar, as well as our view that peace and
\nstability can only come about through a process of dialogue
\nbetween the authorities and Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic
\nopposition,\" said White House spokesman Mike McCurry.<\/p>\n
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi had said on
\nTuesday after the U.S. envoys had visited Malaysia that the West
\nhad no business in telling Southeast Asian nations that Myanmar
\nshould not be allowed to join ASEAN.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, formed in 1967, groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Cambodia and Laos
\nare observers in the grouping and Myanmar is expected to be
\naccorded the same status in July.<\/p>\n
The U.S. officials had warned that Myanmar could destabilize
\nthe region if allowed to join the grouping before its ruling
\njunta and pro-democracy forces achieved reconciliation.<\/p>\n
McCurry said the envoys \"believe that their mission has
\nenhanced the basis for productive discussion on the link between
\npolitical dialogue, stability in Myanmar and Myanmar's successful
\nintegration into the region.\"<\/p>\n
In Oslo, Norway said yesterday it had sent a senior diplomat
\nto Myanmar from Singapore to offer protection and support to pro-
\ndemocracy opposition leader Suu Kyi.<\/p>\n
Junior Foreign Minister Jan Egeland said in a statement Norway
\nwas reacting to speculation that the State Law and Order
\nRestoration Council (SLORC) might rearrest the Nobel Peace Prize
\nlaureate.<\/p>\n
\"Norway is afraid the military regime in Burma may further
\nrestrict Aung San Suu Kyi's democratic rights and her freedom of
\nmovement and may even arrest her,\" Egeland told Reuters.<\/p>\n
\"We have sent our charge-d'affaires Anne Thalmann from
\nSingapore to Rangoon today to offer all possible Norwegian
\nassistance to the democratic movement and to Suu Kyi, and as such
\ngive her some protection.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Myanmarese dissident students staged an 11-man
\nprotest against the ruling junta outside the Myanmarese embassy
\nin Bangkok yesterday, attributing the low turnout to fear of
\narrest on immigration offenses by Thai authorities.<\/p>\n
Aung Myo Min of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front
\n(ABSDF) said that 22 Myanmarese exiles had been arrested on
\nimmigration charges after a similar demonstration May 27 attended
\nby some 200 people and were still in detention in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
\"We did not want to bring people from the safe areas this
\ntime, as we can't guarantee their safety,\" he added, referring to
\na Myanmarese exiles' open camp in Ratchaburi province in western
\nThailand.<\/p>\n
A source at the Thai police special branch office said that 20
\nof the arrested exiles were still in detention and two had been
\nreleased.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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