Rice may skip key ASEAN talks amid Myanmar concerns<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Washington<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice may skip a key ASEAN
\nmeeting next month amid concerns in Washington the region is not
\npushing enough for democratic reforms in military-ruled Myanmar,
\ndiplomatic sources said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
If she fails to make it for the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in
\nthe Laotian capital Vientiane in late July, it would be the first
\ntime ever that a U.S. Secretary of State does not participate in
\nthe annual talks.<\/p>\n
The meeting includes a post-ministerial dialogue between the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations and its key trading
\npartners, notably the United States, European Union, China, Japan
\nand Russia, as well as an ASEAN Regional Forum, the only official
\nsecurity meeting in the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n
A source said, without citing specific reasons, that Rice --
\ncurrently in Brussels after a Middle East tour -- was expected to
\nsend her deputy Robert Zoellick, the former U.S. Trade
\nRepresentative and an old ASEAN hand, to the ASEAN meetings.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment, a State Department official said: \"We have
\nno announcement on the Secretary's travel and no confirmation on
\ntravel by the Deputy Secretary.\"<\/p>\n
Even if Zoellick attends, it could be seen as a slight by
\nASEAN leaders who may perceive it as downgrading of U.S.
\nparticipation in the region's most important diplomatic event.<\/p>\n
\"If in fact he is tapped to attend, we shouldn't be so quick
\nto interpret such a decision as the lack of support for Southeast
\nAsia, given Ambassador Zoellick's former cabinet status and broad
\nand deep knowledge of Southeast Asia,\" said Karen Brooks, a
\nleading architect of U.S. policy toward Asia during both the Bush
\nand Clinton administrations.<\/p>\n
\"However, I suspect our friends in the region won't share that
\nperspective,\" she said, indicating that there could be unintended
\nconsequences of such a decision, including a belief that the U.S.
\nwas ignoring the region, where it has vast investment, trade and
\nsecurity interests.<\/p>\n
\"Such a decision would not be intended as a signal that 'We
\ndon't care.' But, be that as it may, that's the way it is going
\nto be interpreted,\" Brooks said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, both the United States and the European Union
\nindicated that they might boycott ASEAN meetings if Myanmar is
\nallowed to chair the grouping.<\/p>\n
Some ASEAN members, as well as the grouping's western partners
\nare opposed to the outcast regime taking on such a role, with
\nMyanmar scheduled to take over the ASEAN helm from Malaysia at
\nthe end of 2006.<\/p>\n
If Myanmar does take the chairmanship, it would hold the ASEAN
\nministerial meeting in summer 2007.<\/p>\n
Also on Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives
\noverwhelmingly passed a resolution renewing a one-year ban on all
\nimports from Myanmar, as part of sanctions for repression of
\ndemocratic opposition and human rights concerns.<\/p>\n
The House adopted it by a 423-2 vote, officials said.<\/p>\n
An identical resolution has been introduced in the Senate with
\n40 co-sponsors and should be dealt with soon, they added.<\/p>\n
It would renew a complete ban on all imports from Myanmar
\nuntil President George W. Bush determines and certifies to
\nCongress that the Southeast Asian state has made substantial and
\nmeasurable progress on a number of democracy and human rights
\nissues.<\/p>",
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