ASEAN leaders urged to stand up to Myanmar

ASEAN leaders urged to stand up to Myanmar

MANILA (AFP): Two special envoys of U.S. President Bill
Clinton met with Philippines President Fidel Ramos here yesterday
at the second stop of an Asian mission aimed at coordinating an
international response to the military crackdown in Myanmar,
officials said.

There were no immediate details on the outcome of Ramos'
meeting with the emissaries, retired ambassador William Brown and
Stanley Roth of the U.S. Institute for Peace.

The mission is pressing Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines,
Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand "to take action to ward off
violence and to promote mutual goals of democratization (and)
respect for human rights" in Burma, U.S. embassy spokesman
Bernard Lovejoy told AFP.

He said Washington, which on Monday threatened sanctions
against Yangon, is also seeking "progress" against the narcotics
trade which centers on the so-called "Golden Triangle" on the
conjunction of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.

The ruling military junta in Yangon detained more than 250
members of the political opposition last month in a bid to
prevent a meeting of the National League for Democracy (NLD), led
by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

The two Clinton representatives met with Japanese Foreign
Minister Yukihiko Ikeda last Monday. They were scheduled to fly
to Singapore later yesterday. The mission ends on June 17. All
countries in the itinerary save Japan are members of the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN has refused to adopt the West's approach of openly
criticizing Rangoon for its human rights record, preferring to
follow a policy called "constructive engagement."

"This is first, last and always an Asian situation and Asian
solutions, and hopefully ASEAN solutions, are applicable here,"
envoy Brown told Reuters after meeting Ramos. He declined to
disclose details of his meeting with the Philippine president.

"It was a very positive meeting and we deeply respect the
wisdom that was imparted to us," Brown said of his meeting at the
presidential palace in Manila.

"We remain of course very concerned about the situation (in
Myanmar)... We are all very hopeful for the prevention of
bloodshed and for a reconciliation and dialogue among those
involved," he added.

An ASEAN scholar here however said the mission had a less
realistic chance of making any headway elsewhere in the region.
"I do not think that the aggressive approach that the United
States is taking is going to be very effective," said Julius
Caesar Parrenas of the Manila-based Institute for International
and Strategic Studies. "ASEAN is doing the sensible thing," he
said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said yesterday ASEAN
will maintain its policy of constructive engagement with Myanmar
despite political tensions in Yangon.

"Our position is clear. ASEAN's position on Myanmar has not
changed from what it calls the constructive approach to try and
to pull Myanmar out of isolation," Alatas told reporters.

"We in ASEAN will keep firmly to the principle that we don't
interfere in each other's domestic affairs," he added.