ASEAN-U.S. ties at risk if Myanmar becomes chair, says top US

ASEAN-U.S. ties at risk if Myanmar becomes chair, says top US
official

Agencies
Bangkok

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick welcomed the
regional efforts to get Myanmar to reform but warned of "severe
limitations" on U.S.-ASEAN relations if the military-ruled state
chaired the grouping.

"I did express our concern about how it would hinder our
dealings with ASEAN if Burma were the chair, but I recognize
that's a decision for the ASEAN countries to make," Zoellick told
reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday using the former name for
Myanmar when it was under British rule.

"Burma's role puts severe limitations on what the U.S. can do,
so I can't go beyond that at this point, we'll see what ASEAN
decides to do."

Zoellick is on a 10-day trip to Southeast Asia, and met
Wednesday with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Foreign
Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon to discuss Washington's views
about the pace of reforms in Myanmar.

Parliamentarians in several countries in the 10-member
Association of Southeast Asian Nations have urged their
governments to block Myanmar from assuming the rotating ASEAN
chair in 2006 because of Yangon's lack of democratic reforms.

Zoellick declined to say if the U.S. would boycott ASEAN
meetings were Myanmar to become chair, but Washington in the past
has said it might boycott ASEAN meetings in Yangon unless Myanmar
adopted political reforms, including the unconditional release of
Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Now it's a real question of whether others can continue to
try to press the regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi, move towards
a serious process of democratic reconciliation," Zoellick said.

"There are more voices from Southeast Asia now raising
concerns about the political situation in Burma than there were
in the past. I think that's a good step."

Europe and the United States, who refuse to believe the former
Burma's assurances it is moving towards democracy in its own way,
have threatened to boycott high-level meetings with ASEAN should
they take place in Yangon on the junta's watch.

Thailand said on Wednesday that Myanmar might skip its turn as
chairman of ASEAN, presenting a possible face-saving solution for
the 10-member regional group.

"It's a possibility, one of the possibilities they are
thinking of," Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Souphamongkon told
reporters asking whether Yangon would miss the chairmanship.

ASEAN is loath to take direct action as it would contravene
the group's sacred principle of non-interference in the affairs
of an individual member.

Speculation has arisen that Thailand might be negotiating a
compromise solution. It has strong commercial ties with Yangon's
reclusive generals and has favored "constructive engagement" with
them rather than sanctions.

One rumored outcome would be for Myanmar, which has been under
military rule of one form or another since 1962, to become
chairman, but for Thailand to host all the big diplomatic
meetings.

Kantathi hinted that might be a possible solution.

"What we are working on with them of course would be a dual
track situation," Kantathi said without elaboration. "We would
like to see to democracy and national reconciliation being
realized and we would like to see also that ASEAN can function
effectively."