Singapore to push ASEAN to engage with India: Officials

Singapore to push ASEAN to engage with India: Officials

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore said on Thursday it is backing
India to become a dialog partner of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) but faced an uphill battle getting support.

"The Indian President (K.R. Narayanan) requested this when he
visited Singapore," a Singapore government spokesman told AFP.
"Our Prime Minister (Goh Chok Tong) will raise and develop a
consensus on it."

But delegates from other economies said India's inclusion was
likely to be rejected by countries such as Brunei, Malaysia,
Philippines and Thailand.

"It is not an appropriate time to enlarge ASEAN partners," one
delegate said on condition of anonymity, without elaborating.
Another official said: "If you allow India, other countries will
also ask for it.

"You must remember that Singapore was a key backer of India's
membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum."

ASEAN delegates also expressed reservations Thursday about a
Singapore proposal to include New Zealand and Australia as ASEAN
plus two dialog partners.

China, Japan and South Korea are already linked to ASEAN as
dialog partners under a so-called ASEAN plus three umbrella.
One official on condition of anonymity said: "Singapore favors
ASEAN plus two, but Australia wants to be the Americans in ASEAN.
That cannot be accepted."

Earlier this year, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
accused Canberra of being a "bully" and said Australia should
behave like the small nation it is instead of trying to teach
Asia how to go about its business.

In another development, Myanmar's Foreign Minister Win Aung
said here on Thursday that Thailand's refusal to defend Yangon
against an International Labor Organization (ILO) sanctions
recommendation was regrettable.

Win Aung said he had taken up the issue with Thai Foreign
Minister Surin Pitsuan on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit here,
but he did not believe it would be raised formally.

Thailand last week refused to join an ASEAN defense of Myanmar
when the ILO recommended its members impose sanctions over the
issue of forced labor. The sanctions take effect on Nov. 30.

"When I met with Mr Surin yesterday I expressed regret for
their line of action," Win Aung said.

Members of the Thai delegation said Surin told Win Aung it was
not necessary for ASEAN members to have common stands on every
issue.

The ILO move, the first of its kind in the Geneva-based
group's history, recommends ILO members -- workers, employers and
countries -- review relations with Myanmar and take steps to
ensure their ties do not help continue or extend forced labor.
New sanctions and trade union bans could deal a body blow to
Myanmar's already ailing economy.

But when Malaysia and Singapore attempted to muster ASEAN
support for Yangon ahead of the decision, Thailand refused to
lend support.

Win Aung said the issue was unlikely to be raised during the
leaders' summit "but maybe when they meet in the corridors and
they meet bilaterally they might talk about it," he said.