EU to show, but ASEM may be 'testy'

EU to show, but ASEM may be 'testy'

Michael Thurston, Agence France-Presse, Valkenburg, Netherlands

The European Union will after all attend a summit with key Asian states next month after resolving a row over military-ruled Myanmar, while insisting it stands firm against Yangon.

But signs emerged almost immediately that the Oct. 8-9 summit in Hanoi could see some testy talks, with Thailand notably questioning the EU's right to "dictate" the terms under which the Europeans will attend.

EU foreign ministers, who hammered out a compromise at weekend talks in the Netherlands, say they do not want to see Myanmar's top leaders at the Oct. 8-9 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Vietnamese capital.

And they are threatening to tighten even further sanctions already in place against Myanmar unless Yangon makes progress on key demands, including the release of democracy leader and Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

"The summit will provide us with an opportunity to confront Burma with our concerns on human rights and the need for democratic reforms," said Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country holds the EU presidency.

The EU refusal to let Myanmar attend the summit -- grouping the EU and seven members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, Japan and South Korea -- had threatened to scotch the meeting altogether.

In particular the EU laments the continued house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, and Myanmar's refusal to allow her National League for Democracy unfettered participation in a national political convention.

Under the terms of an accord agreed late on Friday, the EU said it will go to Hanoi but insisted: "We expect the level of Burmese participation to be lower than at the level of head of state or government."

Key ASEAN power Thailand immediately welcomed the EU accord, with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra saying the Myanmar issue was now "unlikely" to affect the ASEM summit.

But a spokesman for Thailand's foreign ministry also insisted that Yangon alone should decide who it sends to the Hanoi meeting.

"As for participation, it is up to each country to decide," spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow told AFP. "It is not fair to dictate any terms to the other side."

This appeared to run counter to the understanding of EU diplomats, who said former Dutch foreign minister Hans van den Broek had secured assurances that Myanmar would not be represented at top level, during recent talks in the region.

"It is understood they are willing to go along with that," he said.

The EU already has a package of sanctions in place against Yangon, including a visa ban and a freeze on Burmese assets in Europe. The threatened new measures would include extending the visa ban, banning funding for Burmese state enterprises and voting against loans to Myanmar from international bodies.

"If at the ASEM summit where the 25 will be represented there is no forward movement in the fulfillment of these conditions then we will apply the sharpened measures," said Bot.

The ministers also agreed to expand assistance to the Burmese people, notably in the areas of health and education. The European Commission also provides 10 million euros per year in assistance.

Even as the EU ministers met, Burmese authorities accused their chief European critic Britain of a negative approach towards the row.

"It is unfortunate that London continues to ignore not only Yangon's and ASEAN's call but its own European partners to examine the effectiveness of imposing self-defeating policies," the military junta said in a statement.