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.