RI says Myanmar issue not to overshadow ASEAN Summit: Hassan

RI says Myanmar issue not to overshadow ASEAN Summit: Hassan

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Indonesia says the Myanmar issue will not overshadow the upcoming
Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Bali as
all member countries have hailed recent developments in the
military-ruled country.

However, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said
Wednesday that Indonesia hoped further steps would be taken by
Myanmar to fully release prodemocratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi
before the Summit begins on Oct. 7.

"Myanmar fully understands the expectations of Indonesia and
other ASEAN member countries and we see the current house arrest
status for Suu Kyi as a positive gesture by the junta," he said.

"All ASEAN member countries appreciate the recent developments
in Myanmar and we will focus on the ASEAN agenda."

Speaking to journalists after a limited Cabinet meeting
presided over by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Hassan
expressed hope that Suu Kyi would be released before the summit.

"Even if there are no further steps, Prime Minister Khin Nyunt
can use the opportunity of the Summit to explain the recent
situation in his country," he added.

Indonesia, the current ASEAN chair, has been pressuring
Myanmar to release Suu Kyi immediately, saying her arrest should
not overshadow the meeting.

Indonesia's special envoy Ali Alatas has just returned from
Myanmar to push for the democratization process in the country,
including the release of Suu Kyi, who was arrested on May 30.

After Alatas' visit, she was placed under house arrest after
undergoing major surgery.

"The upcoming Summit will be a good opportunity for Myanmar to
further disclose its democratization road map to other ASEAN
members," Hassan said.

Meanwhile in Yangon, United Nations special envoy to Myanmar
Razali Ismail met Suu Kyi at her house, the first independent
figure to see her since her shift to house arrest last week.

Razali entered the democracy icon's famous lakeside home on
University Avenue after spending an hour in separate talks with
Khin Nyunt, Agence France-Presse reported.

Razali is on a crucial three-day mission to Myanmar to secure
the release of Suu Kyi and to restart the national reconciliation
process abandoned earlier this year.

He now faces the difficult task of reviving the contacts and
advancing a seven-point "roadmap" for democratic reform unveiled
by Khin Nyunt in August.

Singapore called on Wednesday for Myanmar to lift all
restrictions on Suu Kyi and said her plight would be raised at
the Bali meeting.

"All restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi should be lifted so that
the national reconciliation process can move forward," a foreign
affairs ministry spokesman said.

Hassan said the Summit would issue a document on Bali Concord
II, which would draw up the concepts of the ASEAN Security
Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Social and Cultural
Community.

"This will be a historical leap for ASEAN, and it will be a
new blueprint for the regional grouping until 2020."

Hassan said the concepts of the document had been agreed by
all ASEAN foreign ministers during their previous meeting in New
York.

"There are only a few details that will be further discussed
during meetings between senior officials and ministers ahead of
the Summit next week."

Several other documents that will be signed at the meeting
include those on the accession of China and India at the ASEAN
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), an antiterrorism agreement
between ASEAN and India, a strategic partnership between ASEAN
and China, as well as an agreement of cooperation between ASEAN
and Japan.

"Russia has originally been scheduled to join TAC at the
summit, but due to the approval process from their parliament,
the accession should wait until June next year," Hassan added.

A series of meetings will begin on Thursday and 14 heads of
states, including Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, are expected to attend the
meeting.

Indonesia will also host the first ever ASEAN Business and
Investment Summit on Oct. 6 following the informal meetings,
aimed at opening communications among ASEAN businesspeople.

The Bali Summit will be guarded by around 5,000 security
forces to prevent possible disruptions.