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.