Myanmar thanks ASEAN for tolerance at Bali summit

Myanmar thanks ASEAN for tolerance at Bali summit

Agencies, Yangon

Myanmar on Friday thanked Southeast Asian nations for opting not to criticize the regime at their summit this week, saying that "cooperation, not confrontation" would help it shift to democracy.

Myanmar's military junta had been braced for a lashing over its detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, at this week's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Bali, Indonesia.

But despite its refusal to release Suu Kyi before the meeting, ASEAN leaders hailed recent events in Myanmar as "positive developments" and said international sanctions would not help promote democratic change.

"By working together as partners, the nations of ASEAN are showing that cooperation, not confrontation, is the path to a just, democratic and harmonious world," the junta said in a statement.

"The ASEAN partnership will also help Myanmar move toward its own goal of a stable, peaceful democratic state," it said. "The Government of Myanmar extends its thanks to the fellow members of the ASEAN."

The ASEAN resolution, which would have come as a great relief to newly appointed Prime Minister Gen. Khin Nyunt, also lent its support to his new "road map" to democracy.

The initiative envisages "free and fair" elections and a new constitution to be written in a national convention, but does not mention Suu Kyi or any timeframe for reform.

"The ASEAN leaders agreed that the road map outlined by the Myanmar Prime Minister is a pragmatic plan that deserves support, and agreed that the developments so far have been positive," the statement said.

Analysts said ASEAN wanted to give the regime a chance to show it was sincere about pursuing reforms, and extended the benefit of the doubt to Khin Nyunt, who is reputedly a moderate figure among the generals.

However, Washington has pointedly disagreed with the Southeast Asian leaders' assessment, noting that the junta continues to detain Suu Kyi and other seniors members of her National League for Democracy.

The State Department said this week that it saw no "positive developments" in Myanmar, where the opposition leader was put under house arrest last month after four months of detention at a secret location.

"We don't see those and we don't see any need for a road map unless it has the full participation of the opposition," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday gave the Yangon regime another vote of support, dismissing the U.S. criticisms and praising Myanmar for explaining its domestic political situation at Bali.

"We have been told about progressive developments and we consider that Myanmar has shown its responsibility as a member of the group by explaining the situation to ASEAN," he said as quoted by the Agence France-Presse.

Thaksin said he was optimistic about prospects for change in Myanmar and that Thailand -- which has a prickly relationship with its neighbor -- would not pile on any more pressure as that would be counterproductive.

"Western countries do not understand the problem as they are too far from the region," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, authorities stopped followers of Suu Kyi from paying their respects to her on Friday at her Yangon home where many say the Nobel Peace laureate is being detained, an official of her National League for Democracy party said.

About 30 party members were turned away at a checkpoint at an intersection near Suu Kyi's lakeside residence on the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut that marks the end of Buddhist lent, The Associated Press reported.

It's traditional that homage is paid to elders and teachers on the holiday. Most of Myanmar's 42 million people are Buddhists. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.