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.