EU, ASEAN may clash over Myanmar at ASEM

EU, ASEAN may clash over Myanmar at ASEM

Agencies, Hanoi/Jakarta

A new round of diplomatic bickering is expected at this week's
summit of European and Asian leaders in Hanoi over the deep
inter-regional divisions on how to push through democratic change
in Myanmar.

Although European diplomats insist the political situation in
the military-ruled country will not overshadow the two-day Asia-
Europe Meeting (ASEM), which opens here on Friday, they say it
will be on the agenda.

"It's not going to be the center of attention but it will
certainly be raised and dealt with. We will convey our continuing
sense of deep concern to the ASEAN side," said one Hanoi-based
diplomat.

Myanmar's refusal to allow political freedoms has haunted
relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) since the country formerly
known as Burma joined the bloc in 1997.

Its junta enjoys a large measure of understanding and
tolerance from its fellow ASEAN governments, who strictly observe
a much-criticized ban against interference in other member
nations' affairs.

Germany's ambassador to Vietnam, Christian-Ludwig Weber-
Lortsch, tacitly acknowledged last week that the rift remains
unresolved.

"There have been some problems between the EU and ASEAN over
the Myanmar issue, but I believe they will not hijack or
overshadow the global summit."

The fifth edition of the biennial meet was almost scuppered as
a result of the EU's boycott threat in protest at Myanmar's
planned attendance.

The 10-member ASEAN bloc had wanted its newest members --
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar -- to be included in the summit in
return for the participation of 10 new EU members who joined in
May.

The EU only agreed to attend on Sept. 3 on the condition that
Myanmar sends a lower-ranking delegation.

But it also warned that it would tighten the tough sanctions
already in place unless the military dictatorship bows to its
pro-human rights and pro-democracy demands by the summit's
opening day.

In particular, the EU has threatened to expand a visa
blacklist against junta officials, oppose international lending
to Myanmar, cut investment in state firms and clamp down on
"illegal logging", said to be a mainstay of the country's
economy.

Diplomats say this tightening of the screw now appears
inevitable, particularly after the junta reshuffled its cabinet
last month, strengthening the hand of hardliners. Among those who
lost their jobs was foreign minister Win Aung, who was considered
a relative moderate.

"ASEAN is well aware that the new sanctions are coming. It
seems highly unlikely that the EU's demands will be met, but the
intention was to get this out of the way before the summit
starts," the European diplomat said.

The EU has demanded the release of opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi from continued house arrest, an end to harassment of her
National League for Democracy (NLD) party and allowing genuine
political debate.

In a related development, Indonesian President Megawati
Soekarnoputri would not attend the Summit after her defeat in the
presidential election, the office of the president told
journalists on Monday.

No official reason was given to explain her absence from the
Summit, but a presidential staff member said that the President
had not been scheduled to attend the Summit.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda will
represent the government at the Summit.

Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa
lamented the fact that the controversy over Myanmar's
participation's this week "has tended to deflect attention away
from what the actual forum is all about".

"So we, as far as Indonesia is concerned, would like to bring
the ASEM process back on track," he told AFP.