RP may oppose Myanmar's early ASEAN membership

RP may oppose Myanmar's early ASEAN membership

MANILA (Agencies): The Philippines said yesterday the pace of
Myanmar's integration into the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) was "too fast" in a veiled indication it would
oppose Yangon's bid to join the group next year.

"The velocity or speed (of Myanmar's potential membership) is
too fast. They only became an observer (in ASEAN) this year,"
Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon told reporters here.

He said Myanmar's bid for membership in the regional grouping
of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam, should be given more time to allow Yangon
to "adjust" to ASEAN's programs, including the setting up of an
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).

Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are observers in ASEAN, but hope to
be formally admitted to the group during the ASEAN ministerial
meeting in Malaysia in July 1997.

"You cannot have free trade unless the rule of law is in
place. I also agree that you cannot have free trade without
participatory democracy," Siazon said.

His remarks followed the most recent crackdown by Myanmar's
ruling junta, officially known as the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), on the opposition National League
for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi.

Up to 800 opposition leaders and members were arrested last
week as the SLORC moved to prevent the NLD from holding a
congress.

Siazon, however, said that "what is happening with Suu Kyi is
temporary" and expressed the hope that both sides would hold
negotiations.

Philippine President Fidel Ramos on Wednesday said Burma's
application for membership in ASEAN would be reviewed during a
summit of ASEAN leaders in November.

He also said that ASEAN expects Yangon to "fulfill the
standards within ASEAN for liberalization of trade and democratic
systems."

For Myanmar, Cambodia or Laos to become members, all ASEAN
member countries must reach a consensus, not a mere majority
decision.

Thailand foreign ministry spokesman Surapong Jayanama said
yesterday that Myanmar should be given more time to familiarize
itself with ASEAN structures and processes before becoming a full
member,

Myanmar's entry into ASEAN was not an issue, he stressed, but
Myanmar needed more time as it has only been an observer in ASEAN
for the past two months.

Surapong said ASEAN has no intention of reviewing its policy
of constructive engagement, as opposed to political and economic
isolation, in Myanmar.

Such a dialog with Yangon was necessary to encourage democracy
and national reconciliation in the neighboring state, Surapong
said.

Meanwhile, a senior Myanmar government official yesterday
shrugged off a U.S. travel ban on Myanmarese leaders, saying it
would have little effect as few government officials travelled to
the United States.

"We are not going to protest it as it does not jeopardize our
national security and is diplomatic play," a senior government
official told Reuters.

He said not many Myanmarese officials travel to the United
States unless there was an urgent reason, so the travel ban would
not have much impact.

"After all, relations are already pretty cool. So if they (the
United States) don't want to deal with us, then we will deal with
others who want to do so," he added.

U.S. President Bill Clinton on Thursday signed a proclamation
banning Myanmar's military rulers and their families from
entering the United States.

The ban was introduced as a response to "ongoing repression"
of Suu Kyi's democracy movement, White House spokesman Mike
McCurry said.