Myanmar a sticky issue for ASEM

Syed Nadzri, New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur

Myanmar, long considered a thorn in ASEAN's side, has now grown to become an intractable sticking point in an inter- regional agenda.

With barely a month before the fifth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) starts in Hanoi, the military- ruled country seems to be causing a bellicose outlook which may stall the whole process.

The Oct. 8 summit is supposed to feature, for the first time, an ASEM enlarged from the original 25 members to 38, with the addition of 10 new members of the European Union and three new members of ASEAN, including Myanmar.

And it is Myanmar's impending participation that is now the source of problems. In fact, the meeting is in danger of either being muted and restrained or even collapsing altogether because of the Myanmar factor.

Up to last week, the EU had threatened to scuttle the meeting if Myanmar attends and this is due to its poor human rights record and continued detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

That stance seemed to have marginally softened last Sunday when EU foreign ministers hammered a compromise saying they would now not mind Yangon's presence provided it is minus the top leaders. And the Asian partners, particularly ASEAN members, are nervous over such a stipulation.

It is conditions like this that makes the situation a little testy -- especially if it is imposed by one side on another in an organization that is based on a founding principle of equality, mutual respect and benefit.

Which is most unfortunate really, considering the size and importance of the forum which was inaugurated in 1996 not only to bring together countries in Europe and Asia -- practically Asians and their former colonial masters -- but also to balance out American influence in the region through the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

ASEM's value as an entity is also worth pondering over -- it has in total about 2.3 billion people accounting for 37 percent of the world population. The members' aggregate gross domestic product in 2002 was US$4,849 billion (RM18,4 billion), about 46 percent of the world GDP. Their combined value of trade in goods was $2,718 billion (RM10,3 billion) or 43 percent of the world trade.

There's no doubt that Myanmar has been a constant pain for ASEAN, made worse by its ruling junta which appears to be in no hurry whatsoever in reconciliation efforts with the country's pro-democracy movement. Though the grouping still believes in its rather docile constructive engagement policy towards the country, the hindrance Yangon now poses to an inter-regional agenda might be too much to bear -- especially when most ASEAN members are on the verge of a flourishing economic rebound.

It must have been frustrating for UN special envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail to be mediating the reconciliation process when, week after week, he sees his efforts either stalled or backtracked by the stubborn generals. And given the means and mandate he has, it would be most unfair to expect miracles from him.

Even former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, one of the prime movers of ASEAN's acceptance of Myanmar as a member seven years ago, appeared to have lost his patience when he lambasted Yangon last year and suggested that ASEAN kick it out if it didn't change its ways.

But its obstinate military rule aside, Myanmar shouldn't be made to look bigger than the ASEM process itself.

It is a pity that with the summit just round the corner, the focus now is not on the substance and issues to be discussed but on the format of participation -- that is, whether Myanmar should attend and if it does whether it should be represented by the top leaders or the lower ranks.

The EU countries should ask themselves, as Greek diplomat George Sioris once did, whether it is worth torpedoing the whole ASEM concept for the sake of opposing an unacceptable future partner.

The setting of conditions is not conducive at all to any negotiation or meeting. The danger of insisting that Myanmar only send its lower rank officials, is that this might trigger counter conditions by ASEAN members. In turn, nothing is achieved in the end and the whole process crumbles.

Why not then let things run their normal course? Let the Myanmar delegation attend the ASEM summit and leave it to them whether it is Gen. Khin Nyunt himself or the lower ranks would be present. And when they do, those not in favor of their participation can perhaps do what may be necessary -- which is to ignore them. Diplomacy, as Sioris said, reflects real life, and there are similar cases in social gatherings where undesirables are simply ignored. The Greek diplomat can't be more correct.