Coping with a larger family

Coping with a larger family

Now that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
has given a new slant to the meaning of noninterference by
admitting Burma (Myanmar) as one of its three new members, the
next steps are eagerly awaited. Having engaged constructively the
State Law And Order Restoration Council (SLORC), ASEAN may do
well to begin to induce the illegitimate rulers of Burma into
establishing formal and open contacts with the National League
for Democracy, the legitimate and democratically elected
government of Burma. The onus is now on ASEAN and ASEAN alone.

The admission of SLORC, as opposed to Burma, represents a
victory for the ASEAN states which consider the junta's behavior
palatable, which wanted tangible evidence of better behavior.
ASEAN's chummy style, in which consensus is everything, is all
very well because it ensures that no one makes waves in the
grouping. But in Burma's case, Indonesia and Malaysia, the chief
enthusiasts, have the luxury of distance. They have no common
border with Burma, so they are not bothered by an endless flow of
refugees and drugs. They take little interest in cross-border
raids in which SLORC-backed renegades kill, rob or abduct people.

The ceremony next month to admit formally Burma, Cambodia and
Laos will be a jolly occasion that will celebrate the realization
of one big, happy family. There will be champagne, slaps on the
back and photo-calls with national leaders holding hands and
wearing exotic shirts in the manner of chorus girls. There is
also the distinct possibility that the happy 10 will become
something of a dysfunctional family unless the more progressive
members grasp the formidable challenges that the three newcomers,
and SLORC in particular, present.

-- The Bangkok Post