RI regrets Rice's decision to skip security forum<\/p>\n
Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government expressed regret that U.S. Secretary of
\nState Condoleezza Rice's would not be present at the ASEAN
\nmeeting and Asia Regional Forum at the end of July.<\/p>\n
However, the government asserted that it would not bow to
\npressure from countries like the U.S. to push for reform in
\nMyanmar, as the latter was free to decide its own affairs, said
\nforeign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa.<\/p>\n
The 10 countries grouped in the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) and its dialog partners, including China, Japan,
\nSouth Korea and India, will take part in the ASEAN Ministerial
\nMeeting (AMM) and the Post-Ministerial Meeting, starting on July
\n24.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and its security dialog partners, including the United
\nStates, the European Union and Russia, will convene at the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum (ARF) on July 29.<\/p>\n
Rice said earlier this week that she would not attend the ARF
\nin the Laos capital of Vientiane, saying she had a scheduling
\nconflict. Her deputy, Robert Zoellick, will represent the U.S. at
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
\"We regret Condoleezza Rice's absence at the ASEAN meeting in
\nVientiane, because this is the first time that the U.S. will not
\nbe represented by an official at the ministerial level. But we
\nhave no problem with the official standing in for her. We just
\nthought that this was an unusual occasion,\" Marty said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"The dialog process between ASEAN and the U.S. will continue
\ndespite her absence,\" he added.<\/p>\n
After meeting with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on
\nMonday, Rice urged Southeast Asian nations to press for the
\nupholding of human rights and openness in the military-ruled
\nMyanmar.<\/p>\n
The issue is significant because Myanmar is set to take over
\nthe ASEAN chairmanship in 2006 from Malaysia. The chairmanship is
\nrotated in alphabetical order.<\/p>\n
Malaysian foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar called Rice's
\nabsence \"regrettable\". He said on Tuesday that he hoped Rice's
\nabsence was not an indication that the U.S. was placing less
\nimportance on or showing less interest in ASEAN, while focusing
\non the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Marty said that Indonesia was steadfast in its opinion that
\nMyanmar should be allowed to make its own decisions, without
\noutside interference, including from its closest neighbors.<\/p>\n
\"The Myanmarese chairmanship is something that we (ASEAN) can
\ndecide on our own. We don't need any warning or signal from other
\ncountries to help us in our decision over Myanmar and its
\nchairmanship. We have told Myanmar our stance precisely,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The final decision on the 2006 ASEAN chair will also be
\ndecided in a consensus between ASEAN nations, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Myanmar is likely to announce its decision during the AMM,
\nand has said it will consider ASEAN's collective interests.
\nMyanmar also understands that an ASEAN chair carries huge
\nresponsibility. We would understand if Myanmar chose to turn over
\nthe chairmanship, considering the situation at home.\"<\/p>\n
\"But the final decision is in ASEAN's hands, through
\nconsensus,\" said Marty, who is also the ministry's director
\ngeneral for ASEAN cooperation.<\/p>\n
He said that Myanmar would not have to wait another 10 years
\nfor the chairmanship, as long as the country was well-prepared.<\/p>\n
In this year's AMM, participants are expected to approve the
\nASEAN agreement on disaster management and emergency response,
\nwhich would allow the establishment of a regional humanitarian
\ncenter, said Marty.<\/p>\n
In the ARF, he said participants would do much of the
\n\"housekeeping\", including accepting Timor Leste as a participant,
\nand agreeing on the transformation of the ARF from a forum for
\nconfidence-building measures to preventive diplomacy.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is certain that this is the right time to move
\nforward to preventive diplomacy. This is not an 'either ... or'
\nissue, the two diplomatic functions can work together,\" he said.<\/p>",
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