Rice may skip key ASEAN talks amid Myanmar concerns

Rice may skip key ASEAN talks amid Myanmar concerns

Agence France-Presse, Washington

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice may skip a key ASEAN
meeting next month amid concerns in Washington the region is not
pushing enough for democratic reforms in military-ruled Myanmar,
diplomatic sources said on Tuesday.

If she fails to make it for the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in
the Laotian capital Vientiane in late July, it would be the first
time ever that a U.S. Secretary of State does not participate in
the annual talks.

The meeting includes a post-ministerial dialogue between the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its key trading
partners, notably the United States, European Union, China, Japan
and Russia, as well as an ASEAN Regional Forum, the only official
security meeting in the Asia-Pacific region.

A source said, without citing specific reasons, that Rice --
currently in Brussels after a Middle East tour -- was expected to
send her deputy Robert Zoellick, the former U.S. Trade
Representative and an old ASEAN hand, to the ASEAN meetings.

Asked to comment, a State Department official said: "We have
no announcement on the Secretary's travel and no confirmation on
travel by the Deputy Secretary."

Even if Zoellick attends, it could be seen as a slight by
ASEAN leaders who may perceive it as downgrading of U.S.
participation in the region's most important diplomatic event.

"If in fact he is tapped to attend, we shouldn't be so quick
to interpret such a decision as the lack of support for Southeast
Asia, given Ambassador Zoellick's former cabinet status and broad
and deep knowledge of Southeast Asia," said Karen Brooks, a
leading architect of U.S. policy toward Asia during both the Bush
and Clinton administrations.

"However, I suspect our friends in the region won't share that
perspective," she said, indicating that there could be unintended
consequences of such a decision, including a belief that the U.S.
was ignoring the region, where it has vast investment, trade and
security interests.

"Such a decision would not be intended as a signal that 'We
don't care.' But, be that as it may, that's the way it is going
to be interpreted," Brooks said.

Earlier, both the United States and the European Union
indicated that they might boycott ASEAN meetings if Myanmar is
allowed to chair the grouping.

Some ASEAN members, as well as the grouping's western partners
are opposed to the outcast regime taking on such a role, with
Myanmar scheduled to take over the ASEAN helm from Malaysia at
the end of 2006.

If Myanmar does take the chairmanship, it would hold the ASEAN
ministerial meeting in summer 2007.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives
overwhelmingly passed a resolution renewing a one-year ban on all
imports from Myanmar, as part of sanctions for repression of
democratic opposition and human rights concerns.

The House adopted it by a 423-2 vote, officials said.

An identical resolution has been introduced in the Senate with
40 co-sponsors and should be dealt with soon, they added.

It would renew a complete ban on all imports from Myanmar
until President George W. Bush determines and certifies to
Congress that the Southeast Asian state has made substantial and
measurable progress on a number of democracy and human rights
issues.