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.