ASEAN-EU hail 'new dynamic' in ties after Bangkok talks
ASEAN-EU hail 'new dynamic' in ties after Bangkok talks
BANGKOK (AFP): ASEAN and the European Union hailed a "new dynamic" in their relations on Wednesday at their first talks since a row erupted over Myanmar's human rights record two years ago.
Envoys were meeting at a central Bangkok hotel to try to repair a relationship soured when Myanmar joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997 in the face of stiff opposition from Europe and the United States.
Members of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) praised the compromise which permitted Myanmar to join the talks in a "passive" role and called for closer contacts between the two regional groups.
European Union Director for South and Southeast Asia Emiliano Fossati said the talks, which end Thursday, were proof of a "new dynamic" in European relations with the ASEAN.
He called for a more "profound dialogue," and said the next meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee would be in Europe, although no date has yet been set.
The venue could conceivably cause more friction between the two blocs as Yangon officials face a visa ban in Europe under EU restrictions imposed to punish perceived human fights violations in Myanmar.
Fossanti said the question of Myanmar's status at the talks would be considered closer to the time.
He denied that the compromise which allowed Myanmar to take part signaled any relaxation in Europe's tough line toward Yangon's generals.
"The EU has reached a common position on Burma (Myanmar)," he said. "Our side does not see any sufficient improvement in the situation in Burma -- ASEAN has a different view and we understand the reasons ASEAN enlarged the group but of course we maintain our position."
EU officials have refused to sit down on the same terms as Myanmar officials, causing the cancellation of two planned joint meetings and a foreign minister's meeting earlier this year in Berlin.
"We think that these differences are not an obstacle ... our position will change when we believe there has been a sufficient change in the Burmese attitudes," said Fossanti.
A leading ASEAN official from Thailand, Anucha Osathanond said the talks had been a "great success" and said it had been agreed to set up two new subcommittees to cover the environment and narcotics.
Officials said the next political meeting between EU and ASEAN could take place on the sidelines of a forthcoming ASEAN meeting in Singapore later this year.
Myanmar's junta is accused of a catalog of serious human rights abuses and vilified for refusing to cede power to Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition, which won a landslide victory in elections in 1990.
EU officials agreed in March that Myanmar should not any longer hold relations with ASEAN hostage but granted the junta only a "passive role" at the talks.
Officially, Myanmar is a mute presence as it is not a signatory to the original 1980 EU-ASEAN cooperation agreement.
The EU in April extended sanctions against Myanmar in protest against ongoing human rights abuses and the junta's rejection of the results of the 1990 elections.
The sanctions, which include a halt to non-humanitarian aid and a visa ban against senior Yangon officials, were first applied in 1996 and effectively block ASEAN from attending talks in Europe.
Western attitudes to Myanmar were further hardened this year when the junta refused Aung San Suu Kyi's dying British husband permission to visit her in Yangon to say a final goodbye.
Apart from Myanmar, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.