U.S. holds back on support for Myanmar dialog<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Reuter): The United States yesterday stood firm on
\nits policy of continued isolation of Myanmar's ruling junta
\ndespite an apparent shift by other Western countries.<\/p>\n
U.S. Under Secretary of State Joan Spero told the Association
\nof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that Washington could only
\nbuild a productive relationship with Yangon if Myanmar began
\ngenuine efforts on political and human-rights reform.<\/p>\n
\"While we share the same overall objective for Burma
\n(Myanmar), namely the developing of open and political systems,
\nwe have some differences on how to achieve this end,\" she said in
\na statement to six-member ASEAN.<\/p>\n
The U.S. stance contrasts with the ASEAN policy of
\n\"constructive engagement\", which included the presence at last
\nweek's annual ASEAN ministerial talks of Foreign Minister Ohn
\nGyaw.<\/p>\n
He was invited as a guest of Thailand in a move that angered
\nhuman-rights groups and a number of Western countries.<\/p>\n
In talks after the ASEAN meeting, the European Union,
\nAustralia and Canada edged towards the ASEAN view that more could
\nbe achieved in Yangon through constructive contact.<\/p>\n
\"Generally, they feel isolation is not the answer... I would
\nlike to say unanimously but I dare not to, they feel that the
\nconstructive engagement of ASEAN is the right answer,\" Thai
\nForeign Ministry spokesman Suvidhya Simasakul told reporters on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
ASEAN, which comprises Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, Malaysia and Brunei, said last week that it eventually
\nwanted Myanmar and the three Indochinese countries, Cambodia,
\nLaos and Vietnam, to join.<\/p>\n
Most Western allies have differed with ASEAN on the best way
\nto encourage change in Myanmar since the military brutally
\nsuppressed a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 and subsequently
\ndetained without trial dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi.<\/p>\n
Dialog<\/p>\n
But this week, while deploring Myanmar's human-rights record
\nand continued political detentions, some Western countries were
\nreassessing their stand on the country.<\/p>\n
Canada, while still waiting to see evidence of real commitment
\nto political reform, said it was not in favor of isolating the
\nregime.<\/p>\n
\"The new Canadian government believes in dialog,\" Foreign
\nMinister Andre Ouellet said.<\/p>\n
Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said there was a
\ngeneral recognition in Tuesday's ASEAN talks with dialog partners
\nthat there had been some progress in Burma over the past couple
\nof years.<\/p>\n
\"That could probably be attributed in some ways to the policy
\nof hands-on dialog engagement and encouragement (from ASEAN),\" he
\ntold reporters while also stressing that none of this had gone
\nfar enough.<\/p>\n
But Washington stressed that its approach had not changed.<\/p>\n
Spero, under secretary of state for economic, business and
\nagricultural affairs, quoted President Bill Clinton on the
\nconditions for building ties with Yangon.<\/p>\n
\"As President Clinton said, 'That process can begin only if
\nthe regime enters into a substantive dialog with Aung San Suu Kyi
\nto resolve Burma's political impasse and to set it on a path to
\nsuccessful national development with the free and full
\nparticipation of all its people'.\"<\/p>\n
ASEAN's talks with its dialog partners, the United States,
\nJapan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand and the
\nEuropean Union, were to wind up late yesterday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-holds-back-on-support-for-myanmar-dialog-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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