Myanmar puts ASEAN in tough spot

Myanmar puts ASEAN in tough spot

By Deborah Charles

BANGKOK (Reuter): Mounting U.S. pressure on Southeast Asian nations to isolate Myanmar has put them in the tough spot of having to choose between backing a neighbor and risking relations with Washington, officials and analysts said.

They said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was expected to admit observer nations Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos as full members of the group this year, was likely to have tough deliberations next month now that the United States was pressuring them to isolate Yangon.

"This will put pressure on ASEAN to really decide which way they want to go," said one Yangon-based diplomat.

Washington last week announced economic sanctions on Myanmar as a condemnation of the military regime's alleged human rights abuses and its repression of the democracy movement led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The United States stepped up the pressure on Friday by openly opposing Myanmar's entry into ASEAN. State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said Washington planned to use its influence with ASEAN partners to lobby the group.

But ASEAN countries said the U.S. sanctions and pressure would not affect Myanmar's entry into the group.

"They can say what they want to say. We in the ASEAN have our own stance," Abdullah Badawi, foreign minister for Malaysia -- currently the chairman of ASEAN -- said on Sunday. "We should know better what's good for our region."

Philippines foreign secretary Domingo Siazon said it was "normal" for governments to lobby others.

"That's normal but of course we have taken note of their action," he said on Saturday. "We will review our position because we have a meeting anyway on May 31 in Kuala Lumpur to determine and take a decision on the eventual membership of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (Myanmar)."

A Myanmar government official said on Saturday he did not know what ASEAN would decide, but urged the grouping to "stick to its guns" and not give in to the United States' pressure.

ASEAN, founded in 1967 to promote regional economic, social and cultural cooperation, comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

It has traditionally had good relations with the United States and the European Union -- both of which are members of the ASEAN Regional Forum which discusses security issues.

Recently the United States and the EU increased opposition to ASEAN admitting Myanmar, saying it would be tantamount to approval of the military regime's rights abuses and its failure to recognize the 1990 electoral victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

Some analysts and commentaries said although ASEAN countries usually make decisions by consensus and seldom allow disagreements to be seen by outsiders, they will likely have tough closed-door deliberations during talks next month.

"ASEAN is inevitably facing a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation," an editorial in Thailand's The Nation newspaper said.

"ASEAN could well find itself in a position in which it must decide if it wants continued sound relations with the United States and Europe or if it is to seek to legitimize and sustain a brutal regime for the sake of short-term profit," the Bangkok Post said in an editorial.

But others said ASEAN would likely end up sticking to its policy of "constructive engagement" which follows the idea that Myanmar is more likely to change if it is included, not isolated. The increased pressure on ASEAN could actually backfire, said some analysts.

"I think the ASEAN resolve will stiffen because of the public nature of the U.S. statement," said Simon Tay, lecturer of International law in Singapore. "Every association of nations wants to feel that it is in charge of its own affairs."

A Vietnam foreign ministry statement said such pressure only ended up making the country applying it look bad.

"Making pressure or preventing this decision is not in keeping with international fundamental principles and only harms the image and good of the country interfering in Southeast Asia," it said.