Myanmar comes under fire at ARF
By Santi WE Soekanto and Meidyatama Suryodiningrat
PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (JP): Simmering differences on the Myanmar issue sharply divided the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) yesterday despite a general atmosphere of cordiality and political will to elevate the forum to its next level of diplomatic evolution.
Sharp words and discontent spilled over as delegates directly accused Myanmar, represented by Foreign Minister U Ohn Gyaw, for suppressing democracy and human rights abuses.
Describing Myanmar as an "anomaly" within ASEAN, United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright listed her aversions: failure to recognize elections, arrest of business people to stop currency fluctuations and closure of public schools to prevent political unrest.
"Burma (Myanmar) is the only nation in ASEAN where it is illegal to own a fax machine," she said.
In the face of strong Western criticism, ASEAN admitted on Wednesday Laos and Myanmar as members, joining Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Instead, ASEAN had pursued a policy of constructive engagement.
"We acknowledge that the decision to admit Burma (Myanmar) was ASEAN's to make and we respect it...Burma's future and ASEAN's future are now joined, and now more than ever Burma's problems need an ASEAN solution," Albright said.
She went one step further in her bash against the military regime in Yangon by saying drug traffickers there were major investors in the country and "leading lights in its new political order".
Albright was here to attend the one-day ARF meeting which brings ASEAN together with its dialog partners.
During the meeting Ohn Gyaw was given the opportunity to elaborate on developments in his country, taking the time to explain Yangon's plans to establish a new constitution.
But both Albright and European Union representative, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jacques Poos, brushed aside Ohn Gyaw's explanation.
"I didn't feel that his presentation was credible at all," Poos replied to journalists after an initial hesitation at the question.
Even the chairman of the meeting, Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi, was less than flattering in his description of Ohn Gyaw's presentation. "It was factually correct, but they are not taking any big steps forward."
Poos said the EU now accepted ASEAN's constructive engagement policy, but indicated that "it is a recognition of reality" rather than a belief of the policy's potency.
"We wish them good luck that their constructive dialog will bring about democratic changes," Poos said.
Even the ARF chairman's statement received some criticism for not highlighting concerns on Myanmar.
"It was really not negotiated...there is really nothing wrong, it reflects the reality, but of course they didn't want to be too explicit on the problem I just mentioned," Poos added.
There was but a fleeting mention of Myanmar in the 11-page statement.
Despite the stinging criticisms made during and after the meeting, most delegates underlined that the atmosphere was non-conflictual.
Badawi claimed that discussions were held "without becoming disagreeable".
On the future of the forum, Badawi revealed that the ARF would now progress to the next stage in its evolution. "We agreed to move the ARF from confidence-building measures to preventive diplomacy."
He added that established mechanisms such as consensus decision-making, would be maintained in the evolution.
During the second ARF meeting in 1995, it was agreed that the forum would follow a three-stage approach: confidence-building measures, preventive diplomacy and conflict resolutions.
The statement, touching on most regional political security issues, said "the overall security environment in the Asia- Pacific region continues to improve. Notwithstanding the existence of certain challenges, the area remains stable and peaceful."
Other highlighted topics included the South China Sea, elimination of land mines, the Korean Peninsula, nuclear weapons, and activities of the Track-Two initiatives involving non- governmental think tanks.
Other foreign ministers present at the meeting were Australia's Alexander Downer, Brunei's Mohamed Bolkiah, Cambodia's Ung Huot, Canada's Lloyd Axworthy, China's Qian Qichen, India's P. Chidambaram, Japan's Yukihiko Ikeda, Korea's Yoo Chong Ha, Laos' Somsavat Lengsavad, New Zealand's Don McKinnon, Philippines' Domingo Siazon, Russia's Primakov, Singapore's S. Jayakumar, Thailand's Prachuab Chaiyasarn, and Vietnam's Nguyen Manh Cam.
Also present were special representative to Papua New Guinea L. Louma and ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Ajit Singh.
Today the delegates will begin a two-day Post Ministerial Conference.