ASEAN and Japan show concern over Myanmar

ASEAN and Japan show concern over Myanmar

WASHINGTON (Agencies): U.S. envoys sent to Asia to warn that Myanmar is a destabilizing force in the region have reported that Southeast Asian nations and Japan share fundamental U.S. concerns about Burma, the White House said on Thursday.

U.S. special envoys Stanley Roth and William Brown had visited Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand June 10-17 seeking a coordinated response to political developments in Myanmar.

They returned to report that ASEAN, the region's foremost economic and political grouping, and Japan "shared fundamental U.S. concerns on Myanmar, as well as our view that peace and stability can only come about through a process of dialogue between the authorities and Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic opposition," said White House spokesman Mike McCurry.

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi had said on Tuesday after the U.S. envoys had visited Malaysia that the West had no business in telling Southeast Asian nations that Myanmar should not be allowed to join ASEAN.

ASEAN, formed in 1967, groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Cambodia and Laos are observers in the grouping and Myanmar is expected to be accorded the same status in July.

The U.S. officials had warned that Myanmar could destabilize the region if allowed to join the grouping before its ruling junta and pro-democracy forces achieved reconciliation.

McCurry said the envoys "believe that their mission has enhanced the basis for productive discussion on the link between political dialogue, stability in Myanmar and Myanmar's successful integration into the region."

In Oslo, Norway said yesterday it had sent a senior diplomat to Myanmar from Singapore to offer protection and support to pro- democracy opposition leader Suu Kyi.

Junior Foreign Minister Jan Egeland said in a statement Norway was reacting to speculation that the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) might rearrest the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

"Norway is afraid the military regime in Burma may further restrict Aung San Suu Kyi's democratic rights and her freedom of movement and may even arrest her," Egeland told Reuters.

"We have sent our charge-d'affaires Anne Thalmann from Singapore to Rangoon today to offer all possible Norwegian assistance to the democratic movement and to Suu Kyi, and as such give her some protection."

Meanwhile, Myanmarese dissident students staged an 11-man protest against the ruling junta outside the Myanmarese embassy in Bangkok yesterday, attributing the low turnout to fear of arrest on immigration offenses by Thai authorities.

Aung Myo Min of the All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) said that 22 Myanmarese exiles had been arrested on immigration charges after a similar demonstration May 27 attended by some 200 people and were still in detention in Bangkok.

"We did not want to bring people from the safe areas this time, as we can't guarantee their safety," he added, referring to a Myanmarese exiles' open camp in Ratchaburi province in western Thailand.

A source at the Thai police special branch office said that 20 of the arrested exiles were still in detention and two had been released.