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.