ASEAN chief says cairmanship may encourage Myanmar reform
ASEAN chief says cairmanship may encourage Myanmar reform
Associated Press,Kuala Lumpur
Allowing military-ruled Myanmar to chair ASEAN next year could
speed up the process of democratic reform there, the group's
secretary-general said on Monday.
Myanmar is due to take over the rotating chairmanship of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, in 2006. But
the United States and European Union fiercely oppose the move and
have threatened to boycott ASEAN meetings and stall the bloc's
development funding if Myanmar assumes the chair.
"If Myanmar chairs ASEAN, then there will be constant
international attention on this situation in Myanmar, and there
will be a certain amount of pressure in moving the national
reconciliation and democratization process," ASEAN Secretary-
General Ong Keng Yong told The Associated Press.
"But if they are out of the chair, then for the next one or
two years, they won't be on the radar scope. This is the
downside," he said.
The junta took power in 1988 after brutally crushing a pro-
democracy movement. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when
the National League for Democracy party, led by Nobel Peace
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory in general
elections. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for much of the
past 14 years.
Myanmar is also facing pressure from within ASEAN --
parliamentarians from Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines have
demanded that it give up its bid to lead the 10-nation bloc
unless it releases Suu Kyi, improves human rights and introduces
promised democratic reforms.
Ong said Myanmar would make a final decision on whether it
would take up the chairmanship at the ASEAN foreign ministers'
summit in Laos next month.
"Up to now, the reaction of the Myanmar leaders and
representations they have made on the issue have been positive.
They have been listening and did not react in a negative or
confrontational manner. But we do not really know what decision
they will make until they tell us in July," he added.
Asked about a report on a possible compromise that would allow
Myanmar to take up the ASEAN helm but for Thailand to host all
international meetings, Ong said it was impractical.
"It is best not to take a half-baked decision. On paper it may
be attractive, but you may have to spend more money and there may
be more headache," he said.
The Philippines is next in line to chair the grouping and
should consider preparing a contingency plan should Myanmar
decide to pass up its turn, he added.