Mahathir upbeat over Myanmar's entry into ASEAN

Mahathir upbeat over Myanmar's entry into ASEAN

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysia's prime minister said
yesterday that Washington's economic sanctions against Myanmar
would not delay the country's entry into the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Asked if the sanctions would hold back Myanmar's admission
into the regional grouping, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said:
"No, no, no."

"We're going to work very hard to get Myanmar into ASEAN,"
Mahathir said.

Malaysia is currently the chairman of ASEAN, which also
includes Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.

The U.S. announced Tuesday it would ban new investment by
American firms in Myanmar because of what Washington described as
deepening political repression by the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC).

ASEAN will decide by July whether to admit Myanmar, along with
Cambodia and Laos, as new members.

Mahathir was asked by reporters if Malaysia would protest the
sanctions in its capacity as ASEAN chairman. "We'll talk with
other ASEAN ministers," he said.

Asked if ASEAN's ties with Washington would be affected, he
said: "I don't know. I can't predict what ASEAN will say."

Some diplomats believe the latest sanctions would add to the
considerable international pressure on ASEAN not to admit
Myanmar.

But the group says it follows a policy of "constructive
engagement" with Yangon and never interferes in the politics of
another nation.

Thailand's Prime Minister Chaowalit Yongchaiyudh also said
yesterday that the U.S. sanctions would not affect Yangon's entry
into ASEAN.

"We understand what the U.S. has done, but ASEAN will stick to
its agreements and our decision will not depend on other
countries," Chaowalit said.

Chaowalit said the U.S. decision was a bilateral issue which
would in no way affect Thai investments in the neighboring
country.

He said ASEAN would discuss the issue further at a special
foreign ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur next month.

The Thai prime minister also reaffirmed that he planned to
visit Yangon next month despite the sanctions.

Vietnam also slammed Washington's. move yesterday, saying the
sanctions were an act of interference in the internal affairs of
a nation.

"As we have said clearly many times, Vietnam shares the view
of many countries, considering that economic sanctions are
imposed with the aim of interfering in the internal affairs of a
nation ...," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

China also condemned the U.S. decision yesterday, warning that
such a confrontational approach could only serve to increase
antagonism on all sides.

"China is always against interference in other countries'
internal affairs by making use of economic means," a Chinese
foreign ministry spokesman said.

"Isolating and excluding (Myanmar) will only increase tensions
and aggravate confrontation, and will benefit no side," the
spokesman said.

China is one of the major foreign investors in Myanmar and was
the first country to recognize the Yangon military regime, which
took power after a bloody coup in 1988.