ASEAN FMs huddle for retreat as Myanmar question still looms
Thursday, 20-04-2006ASEAN FMs huddle for retreat as Myanmar question still looms
ASEAN foreign ministers are meeting for their annual informal retreat amid increasing unease over recalcitrant member Myanmar’s refusal to produce evidence of democratic reform.
Ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) arriving on the resort island of Bali ahead of the talks, as well as the bloc’s chief, expressed frustration with the military-ruled regime.
“There is a certain impatience because the people around the region as well as around the world say, You keep talking, you keep going there—and then what happened?” secretary-general Ong Keng Yong said.
“People want to see some concrete steps forward.”
The ministers held a working dinner Wednesday during which Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar briefed them over his trip to Yangon, an Indonesian foreign ministry official told AFP.
The official declined however to give details of the Myanmar discussions.
Myanmar agreed at last year’s ASEAN summit to invite Syed Hamid in the face of growing international pressure for evidence of its democratic progress, as well as embarrassment among some members over its 1997 inclusion in the bloc.
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Ubud, Syed Hamid said he was “not totally happy” with progress in Myanmar.
“There are still more things to be done,” he said. “Our intention was to engage with everybody. So, since we were not able to, in that respect you can see that,” he said, referring to his failure to meet with Myanmar’s detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ministers appeared meanwhile to agree that regional powerhouses China and India should use their economic clout—considerably mightier than ASEAN’s—to nudge Myanmar towards reform.
“The Myanmar issue is difficult for ASEAN. We must admit that, but we should not see it as solely the burden of ASEAN. There are also major key players that have significant influence: China and India,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told reporters.
“They can help by promoting democracy in Myanmar.”
Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo also said last month that China’s and India’s open policy on Myanmar diluted the impact of Western sanctions.
Ministers were due to lunch with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a press briefing was expected at 0530 GMT.
Myanmar’s junta has spelt out a “road map” for democracy, including talks on a new constitution. But Aung San Suu Kyi’s party has boycotted the process, which critics have called a sham.
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Myanmar proved how limited the “ASEAN way” or “Asian” way of doing things is.
BG Yeo statment is more insightful than it appears. The key to resolving Myanmar issue is India and China behavior. ASEAN need to take the leadership to persuade them countries to change their policy. Malaysia should stop its ego trip of believing it tell others how things can be changed and not recognizing other people influence on the issue.
What will work better is group of ASEAN leaders that can work together on a plan to systematically work with China and India. In that sense, Singapore and Thailand should be the lead in ASEAN effort. Stop the ego trips and support those who can make really change
Comment by Bigjoe — Friday, 21-04-2006 @ 11: 28.35
The Junta knows jolly well that Asean countries do not have the means and balls to meaningfully force them to make changes. The Junta knows that the Asean way is talk tak talk until the mouth foam and pigs fly so of course they won’t change and continue to reap the enormous financial and politcal benefits that they monopolised.
Although many people will disagree with me, I appreciated the armed intervention of Uncle Sam. No, No, not Iraq and Afganistan, but look at WWI and WW2, Korea and Vietnam. Without that we are either speaking Japanese or practising communism. (no ketuanan melayu either).
The only way is armed intervention.
Comment by lee wee tak_ — Friday, 21-04-2006 @ 17: 00.21