ASEAN split over Myanmar issue<\/p>\n
Vijay Joshi, Associated Press\/Vientiane<\/p>\n
Southeast Asian nations were split over whether military-ruled
\nMyanmar should heed U.S. pressure to forgo their bloc's
\nchairmanship, marring their annual security dialogue with Western
\nand Asian partners, diplomats said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The conference through Friday among the 10-member Association
\nof Southeast Asian Nations and 14 Asia-Pacific partners had anti-
\nterrorism efforts on the agenda, and ASEAN nations also prepared
\nan accord on boosting cooperation during disasters such as
\nDecember's tsunami.<\/p>\n
Australia was set to sign a document on its intent to join a
\nregional nonaggression pact to warm ties with neighbors that
\noften have viewed it with mistrust.<\/p>\n
The meeting received a blow on Monday when host Laos announced
\nthat Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura would not
\nattend. No reason was given.<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had announced earlier
\nthat she would not attend. ASEAN diplomats read that as a snub
\nover the group's failure to get Myanmar's junta to hand power to
\na civilian government and free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu
\nKyi.<\/p>\n
The U.S. and European Union have threatened to boycott ASEAN
\nmeetings if Myanmar takes up the chairmanship of the bloc late
\nnext year as scheduled, and many Southeast Asian nations fear
\nthat could endanger trade ties with the West.<\/p>\n
The bloc's members -- who insist on deciding all issues by
\nconsensus -- are divided over Myanmar, with about two-thirds of
\nthe members against the military-ruled country taking up the
\nchairmanship, ASEAN spokesman M.C. Abad said.<\/p>\n
Another ASEAN diplomat said Cambodia and communist countries
\nLaos and Vietnam are Myanmar's main backers, urging it not to
\nbuckle under pressure. He spoke on condition of anonymity to
\navoid a diplomatic row.<\/p>\n
The diplomat said Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win would
\nindicate the junta's stand during an informal dinner with his
\nASEAN counterparts later on Monday. But Malaysia's Foreign
\nMinister Syed Hamid Albar said the issue would not be discussed
\nby ministers until Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"There will be a decision,\" Syed Hamid said. \"Any
\ninterpretation that ASEAN is going to be divided, and therefore
\nlead to an impasse, I don't think will arise.\"<\/p>\n
ASEAN's mixed signals to Myanmar have complicated efforts to
\nget the country to reform, said UN envoy to Myanmar Razali
\nIsmail, who was in Vientiane to meet with Nyan Win.<\/p>\n
\"It is not as if ASEAN countries have been collectively strong
\nin putting out a clear signal to Myanmar,\" Razali told The
\nAssociated Press. Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and
\nSingapore have been \"quite forthright, but we have not heard from
\nthe others,\" Razali said.<\/p>\n
Criticism from the West tends to have little effect on
\nMyanmar's leaders, who decide matters \"in their own time,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Still, there were indications that Myanmar could voluntarily
\ngive up the chairmanship, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi
\nSuphamongkhon said in Bangkok on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"Myanmar has sent a good signal that it will take into account
\nthe importance of ASEAN's interests and will not do anything that
\nwill obstruct the development of ASEAN and its relation with
\nother countries,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Laotian Deputy Foreign Minister Bounkeut Sangsomsak
\nsaid Japan's absence \"will not effect most of the meeting,\" and
\nshould not be seen as a Myanmar-related pressure tactic.<\/p>\n
Machimura went to London on Sunday for talks with European
\nleaders on Japan's proposal to expand the UN Security Council and
\nto give Japan and some other countries permanent seats. He was
\ndue back in Japan this week, and it wasn't clear why he couldn't
\nattend any of the Laos meetings.<\/p>\n
One of the highlights in Vientiane will be Australia's signing
\nof a declaration of intent to join a nonaggression pact with
\nASEAN. Canberra would then be expected to sign the pact by
\nDecember, helping its campaign to boost trade ties with Asian
\nneighbors.<\/p>\n
The meetings also will discuss terrorism and agreements on
\nsharing intelligence, officials said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-split-over-myanmar-issue-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}