Isolating Myanmar is not effective, Hassan says

Isolating Myanmar is not effective, Hassan says

Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta/Denpasar

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda has said that Myanmar
needs to move forward with the democratization process, but has
emphasized that isolating the country or imposing sanctions
against it will not be effective.

"We have noted the history of a series of sanctions -- that
they have never been effective. As member countries of ASEAN it
never crossed our mind to do such a thing," Hassan told The
Jakarta Post and Kompas on his arrival in Denpasar, Bali, on
Tuesday evening.

He said that ASEAN had always preferred dialog and that it
would be the only way to settle the Myanmar issue.

"I believe the statement about the expulsion of Myanmar from
ASEAN from Prime Minister Mahathir is his own personal
statement," Hassan said, commenting on a recent statement by
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Myanmar.

As the chair of ASEAN, Hassan said Indonesia would continue to
emphasize that there was an urgent need for Myanmar to move ahead
with the democratization process.

"The ongoing process has not been as we would have expected
and the world has lost its patience with Myanmar; we maintain our
position that it has to respond to the world's demand," Hassan
said.

He further disclosed that Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung
planned to visit Indonesia on Monday, to convey a special message
to President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"We hope that they will give us more than just a description
of the latest development, but also some indication of a solution
to the problem," Hassan said.

Earlier in the day, Hassan told reporters in a Jakarta joint
press conference with Coordinating Minister for Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Myanmar had
already admitted that the case of Aung San Suu Kyi was a setback
for democratization and reconciliation in Myanmar as well as a
backward step for ASEAN.

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent
promotion of democracy has been detained by the government since
a clash between her supporters and a pro-government mob left an
unknown number of people dead May 30. She has been seen only once
since then, by Razali Ismail, a former Malaysian diplomat who is
the United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar. The junta claims
that she is fine and in protective custody.

Myanmar's military government said Tuesday it has freed 91
opposition members, mostly from pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu
Kyi's party, from detention since her arrest more than 50 days
ago.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was quoted at the
weekend as saying ASEAN might expel Myanmar as a last resort if
Suu Kyi were not freed. But Thailand, fearing an influx of
migrants, does not favor isolating Myanmar.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday, Malaysia's
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid said that ASEAN could only decide by
consensus -- a tradition since the group was founded in the 1960s
-- and that expulsion would be a "last resort."
"In order for us to reach that result, there is a need for it to
be discussed and for the ASEAN countries to arrive at a
consensus," he was quoted by AP. "The most important thing - our
concern - is the credibility of ASEAN."

Malaysia supported bringing Myanmar into ASEAN in 1997.

Last month, ASEAN called for Suu Kyi's release, a major breach
with the organization's tradition of non-interference in internal
affairs of member states.

European countries are likely to raise unscheduled issues of
Myanmar and Aceh in the fifth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) this
week, however Indonesia has assured that it may not be reflected
in the chairman statement.

"They (Europe) are likely to raise the issues on Aceh and
Myanmar, but so far it may not be mentioned in the planned
chairman statement," Indonesia's Foreign Ministry Director
General for America and Europe Arizal Effendy said Tuesday on the
sideline of the senior official meeting of ASEM in Bali. The
Indonesian government is battling a rebel group in the western-
most province of Aceh.

He underlined that the two issues might be discussed in the
foreign ministers meeting, beginning on Wednesday, and Indonesia
is ready to answer any question on the war-torn province.

"In this era of openness we cannot hide those possibilities
and we will provide them with the latest update on Aceh," Arizal
told The Jakarta Post.

However, Indonesia's Foreign Ministry director for Asia Europe
cooperation Retno Marsudi said that Asian member countries agreed
that there were a lot more important issues to be discussed in
the meeting.

"We will not turn this meeting into a discussion on Myanmar
and so far there is no plan to insert the issue at the chairman
statement, but it will be up to the foreign ministers meeting,"
she said.

Asian and European foreign ministers are expected to arrive
Wednesday for the opening ceremony of the conference slated to be
opened by Megawati.