ASEAN warns Western powers to handle Myanmar issue delicately

ASEAN warns Western powers to handle Myanmar issue delicately

P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse, Phnom Penh

ASEAN defended its policy on Myanmar on Sunday and cautioned
Western powers to handle the issue of restoring democracy in the
country delicately, fearing it could blow up into another
Yugoslavia and be the focus of intense external power rivalry.

Ong Keng Yong, secretary general of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the group had managed to
contain the Myanmar issue within the country's boundaries with
its "constructive engagement" policy.

"Speaking as the ASEAN Secretary-General, I am not talking
about the right or wrong of the institutions in Myanmar, but what
is important is for everyone to understand the complexities of
Myanmar," Ong told AFP in an interview ahead of a meeting of
ASEAN foreign ministers.

Reacting to a barrage of criticism leveled at ASEAN for what
some have called its failure to restore democracy in Myanmar, he
said: "The situation there should not be allowed to develop into
a ugly confrontation that will destabilize the situation in
Southeast Asia."

Citing the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, Ong said
military-ruled Myanmar, with up to 10 major communities and more
than 100 linguistic groups located alongside China and the South
Asian continent, could flare up into "another Yugoslavia,
multiplied many times over."

"We sometimes forget that this unique piece of geography
called Myanmar can be a major destabilizing factor in the Indian
ocean, not just in Southeast Asia, which is just a small part of
the equation," he said.

Yangon arrested Aung San Suu Kyi after a bloody May 30 clash
between supporters of her National League for Democracy (NLD) and
backers of the military regime, leading to intensified criticism
of the junta.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell labeled Myanmar's
generals "thugs" and vowed to push ASEAN states to confront the
recalcitrant country during a series of regional meetings here.

In a move seen as a concession to its detractors, ASEAN
secretariat spokesman M.C. Abad said later that ASEAN ministers
intended to issue an unprecedented statement of concern over the
recent developments.

The statement, widely seen as a departure from the group's
normal policy of non-interference in members' domestic affairs,
was a unanimous issue among members, he said.

"This is the first time that ASEAN has taken a pro-active
stand on Myanmar on the record," he told AFP.

However, Ong added: "I do not want to confront Mr. Powell or
anyone else critical of Myanmar but I just want to state the
facts."

"By engaging Myanmar, we have put this Myanmar issue in this
Pandora's box. It does not impinge heavily on anyone's strategic
interests -- China, India, the United States or even Indonesia.
It is basically a manageable issue.

"Are we prepared to open the Pandora's box? If we are, can we
afford to do that?"

Ong said that if ASEAN dictated to any of its member states
how their governments should be run, "we will be setting a
dangerous precedent and we will be known as facilitators of
regime change or political status quo.

Ong admitted, however, that Yangon could provide "better
treatment" to Suu Kyi.

"In the case of ASEAN, many of us wish that her treatment can
be better but at the same time, it is important to realize that
there are two sides of the coin."

Myanmar's Foreign Minister Win Aung, speaking separately on
Sunday, said the events of May 30 were "very, very unfortunate"
and his government was working toward the release of Suu Kyi.

"We are working on that, even though I cannot say how soon,
tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or like that," he said when
asked whether she would be released.

Aside from Myanmar, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.

Statement -- Page 11