Engaging Myanmar<\/p>\n
Within the space of only four days, Myanmar was admitted first
\nto the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an
\nobserver and later as a full member of the ASEAN Regional Forum
\n(ARF). The first is a regional organization with a strong
\ninternational reputation, and the other is an emerging elite
\nforum, involving the United States, China, Russia and the
\nEuropean Union, among others, for which membership is difficult
\nto come by.<\/p>\n
Myanmar assumed its seats at these two organizations during
\nthe series of the ASEAN ministerial meetings in Jakarta this week
\nin spite of the growing pressure from western countries and from
\ndissidents in Myanmar to isolate Yangon and impose economic
\nsanctions because of its continued suppression of democracy.<\/p>\n
There were no real objections to Myanmar's entry into the ARF
\nfrom the United States, Canada, Australia and the European Union
\n-- whose governments have been at the forefront in demanding
\nisolation. The grumbling and tough talking heard before the ARF
\nmeeting on Tuesday receded when the 21 participating ministers
\nsat down and began talking.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's policy of \"constructive engagement\" with Myanmar has
\nprevailed, and the western countries have accepted it, at least
\nfor the time being. The West realizes that isolation and
\nsanctions will not work without the support of Myanmar's
\nimmediate neighbors. By sitting down together in one room with
\nMyanmar's representative, the ministers who were calling for
\nisolation were themselves involved in the process of engagement.
\nPro-isolationists have to wait for their moment, and pro-
\nengagement advocates have been given more time to prove that
\ntheir approach is the correct one. Even the U.S. Senate this week
\nwatered down a bill that originally called for tough sanctions
\nagainst Myanmar and companies doing business with the Yangon
\nregime.<\/p>\n
The international concerns about the situation in Myanmar have
\nnot been entirely swept under the carpet at the ASEAN meetings.
\nAlthough the issue was not mentioned in the ARF's closing
\nstatement, it was raised at the forum at the insistence of U.S.
\nSecretary of State Warren Christopher. Myanmar Foreign Minister U
\nOhn Gyaw used the occasion to brief the forum about his
\ngovernment's policies. Obviously Secretary Christopher and the
\nother ministers present did not have to completely accept the
\nexplanation, but at least they had the first-hand opportunity to
\nhear Yangon's intentions.<\/p>\n
Representatives from the EU and Canada also used their
\npresence to meet separately with minister Gyaw and raise their
\nconcerns directly with him.<\/p>\n
This is exactly what engagement is all about. At the very
\nleast they are talking with Myanmar, rather than keeping it at
\nbay. Whether or not change in Myanmar can be produced from these
\ntalks remains to be seen. Certainly one or two ideas that are
\nmore constructive than the call for isolation surfaced in Jakarta
\nthis week, like the Canadian suggestion for the establishment of
\na UN-sponsored multilateral contact group on Myanmar.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN ministers also used the meeting to engage Myanmar in
\nwhat they call \"quite diplomacy\". By allowing Yangon to take an
\nobserver seat, ASEAN knew that it was risking the wrath of the
\ninternational community.<\/p>\n
But ASEAN cannot keep its constructive engagement policy
\nforever, without risking its reputation and integrity that it has
\npainfully built over the last 29 years.<\/p>\n
The rest of the world is watching the ASEAN approach and will
\ndemand results. ASEAN's job now is to convince the Yangon regime
\nthat sooner or later it will have to make concessions to the pro-
\ndemocracy activists led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who
\nhas the sympathy and support of the international community.<\/p>\n
There are still a few years before Myanmar will be allowed to
\nbecome a full-fledged member of ASEAN. This period should be used
\nby ASEAN members to pursue their approach of quite diplomacy and
\nto come up with some positive results.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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