Bush to urge ASEAN to push for democracy in Myanmar

Bush to urge ASEAN to push for democracy in Myanmar

Jim Gomez, Associated Press/Busan, South Korea

U.S. President George W. Bush, who this week slammed Myanmar's government as tyrannical, will urge Southeast Asian leaders to use their influence on the reclusive country to improve the lives of its people, senior officials said on Thursday.

But the chief of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations indicated on Thursday, the day before a meeting between Bush and seven of the group's ten leaders, that it would maintain its nonconfrontational approach toward Myanmar.

Bush will raise the issue of Myanmar's military rule with the seven leaders of ASEAN who are attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Busan, South Korea, when he meets them on Friday, said Mike Green, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council.

"The president is interested in having a frank discussion with leaders who have influence on that regime on how we can collectively try to improve the situation for the people there," Green said.

The meeting comes immediately after Washington launched fresh criticism of the junta.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters on the sidelines of the APEC meetings this week that Myanmar's junta was "one of the worst regimes in the world" for its record on human rights and free speech. Bush, in a speech on Wednesday in Japan, named China and Myanmar as countries that "still have not taken even the first steps toward freedom."

Rice urged Myanmar's neighbors to do more to bring about democratic change in the country, also known as Burma.

Ong Keng Yong, ASEAN's secretary-general, told the Associated Press that Southeast Asian governments will continue to engage Myanmar and avoid doing anything that might prompt it to withdraw from the group.

ASEAN insists persuasion, not sanctions, is the best way to deal with the regime.

"As part of the ASEAN group we have no other choice but to bring Myanmar along in whatever way we can," Ong said.

"What's the alternative? The alternative is exclude Myanmar altogether and they are not hesitant about getting into isolation," he said. "Is that going to solve the problem?"

Myanmar has been a member of ASEAN since 1998, but the group has come under increasing pressure from Washington and European governments to push the ruling generals to pursue democratic reforms and release Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest.

Ong said ASEAN's goal of bringing about change in Myanmar through economic and political engagement "may be slow, but at least they're still at the table."

Myanmar is not among APEC's 21 members.

In July, Myanmar gave up its turn next year at ASEAN's rotating chairmanship after the United States and the European Union threatened to boycott the group's meetings.