Suu Kyi, terror dominate Asian meeting

Suu Kyi, terror dominate Asian meeting

Jane Macartney, Reuters, Phnom Penh

Cracking down on militant violence and unprecedented criticism of
the lack of democratic progress in member state Myanmar dominated
the start on Monday of a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign
ministers.

Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) met in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, for two days of
talks overshadowed by Myanmar's detention of pro-democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi, the war on terror and a review of the group's
fundamental principle of not interfering in a member's affairs.

"We are gathered here at a time of both anxiety and hope,"
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told the opening ceremony
in a reference to worries about extremist violence and successes
in the war on terror such as recent arrests in Cambodia and
Thailand of suspected Islamic militants.

"ASEAN, as a result of the recent arrests of suspected
terrorists, is no longer an easy theater of operations for
international terrorism," ASEAN spokesman M.C. Abad quoted
Secretary General Ong Keng Yong as telling the ministers.

The talks precede on Wednesday's annual security gathering of
the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) that will bring U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell on a whirlwind trip to a region where he is
anxious about the spread of extremist violence and has spoken
against Myanmar's detention last month of Nobel laureate Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi's detention dominated and could herald one of the
biggest policy shifts in ASEAN's 36-year history. Several members
are concerned about an issue that has embarrassed the group and
are looking at breaking with basic principles to issue
unprecedented public criticism of one of their own.

"What we would like to happen is a discussion of broadening
the interpretation and application of that principle," Abad told
reporters.

Several nations feel Myanmar cannot escape some censure in a
final communique given the international condemnation heaped on
its military rulers for detaining Suu Kyi once again.

Powell last week urged tougher sanctions against the junta and
the European Union is to discuss similar action on Monday.

"We would like to have diplomatic words," said Myanmar Foreign
Minister Win Aung, indicating the military government was ready
to discuss Suu Kyi's situation.

Myanmar is detaining Suu Kyi amid vague fears that assassins
are on the prowl in the country but she will be freed when the
time is ripe, Win Aung said on Sunday. He could not give a date.
Myanmar students went back to universities on Monday after the
military allowed classes to restart, ending a two-week suspension
amid fears of unrest following the detention of the pro-democracy
leader.

Several members are concerned Myanmar's actions will tarnish
the reputation of an organization that has prided itself on
engaging the junta but say overly harsh criticism could prompt it
to hold Suu Kyi for even longer to avoid losing face.

The meeting also focused on the war on terror. ASEAN, which
groups mainly Islamic states Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei with
the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore
and Laos, should agree on closer cooperation, officials say.

In the last few days, Cambodia has announced the arrests of
four suspected extremists with links to the al Qaeda-affiliated
Jamaah Islamiyah group that is blamed in the Bali bombings.