Red carpet for SLORC

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is to include Myanmar within its ranks despite the move colliding head- on with the international community's repeated berating of the country's ruling junta for its human rights record.

The decision disillusioned many political observers because they had speculated that last week's crackdown on political dissent by the ruling junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), would prompt ASEAN into delaying its decision to admit Myanmar. Last month Washington imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar for its repressive policy on pro-democracy activists. The United States has also appealed to ASEAN not to accept the Yangon ruling junta into its fold, a request the regional organization has taken as interference in the grouping's internal affairs.

Against these odds, Myanmar will step onto the red carpet unrolled by the friendly members of the regional organization in July. The West will have to accept the reality although the United States will continue with its economic sanctions against Myanmar and some other industrialized nations might follow suit if SLORC continues with its repressive policy toward pro- democracy activists.

ASEAN's decision looks like a tragic irony if it is viewed from its "constructive engagement" standpoint, as this has not been successful in persuading Myanmar to respect human rights. Only last week SLORC tried hard to prevent most members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) from gathering at the home of their leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to mark the seventh anniversary of the party's landslide victory in the 1990 democratic elections, which the junta has tried to bury.

We fully understand that reaching a comprehensive solution to the Myanmar crisis is no easy job because neither of the confronting parties has hinted at the slightest hint of compromise. For Suu Kyi, the daughter of a national hero who had a Western education, the solution is that the junta must return what it took from the people. And for its part, the junta still refuses to recognize the NLD victory despite its democratic quality.

Viewing the complicated nature of this issue, ASEAN at last reached its decision, which NLD leaders might understand, that for ASEAN members, the greatest sin in this region is to win a democratic election. They might also take into consideration that some ASEAN member countries have yet to fully respect the noble values of democracy.

We, since the start of Myanmar's ASEAN membership bid, have expressed the hope that SLORC would be generous enough to show a little gesture of gratitude toward the regional group for its benevolence by demonstrating political tolerance at home.

But, on the other hand, we also respect ASEAN's long-cherished attitude of not interfering in any member country's internal affairs. And Suu Kyi should not expect any help from the grouping to solve her party's dispute with SLORC.

However, despite this wisdom, it is not too much to expect ASEAN to urge SLORC to refrain from exacerbating the current situation in Myanmar and -- more importantly -- not to use its acceptance into ASEAN as recognition of either its past political performance or legitimacy for its severe measures against the NLD leadership.