Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Myanmar's Asean chairmanship next year still subject of discussion (2:00 p.m.)
CEBU -- Myanmar's foreign minister said Tuesday that his country's turn to lead Asean next year was still a subject of discussion, refusing to say whether it would assume the rotating chair amid growing international opposition.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) foreign ministers, in a break from the group's bedrock policy of not interfering in each other's affairs, aired concerns Monday over human rights conditions in military-ruled Myanmar to Nyan Win, but gave Yangon the right to decide whether to assume Asean's prestigious chairmanship.
After failing to resolve the controversy at their annual retreat on the central island of Mactan, the ministers on Monday deferred the divisive issue to a foreign ministers' gathering in Laos in July.
Asked repeatedly if Myanmar would assert its right to the Asean chairmanship, Nyan Win replied: "We will continue to discuss that."
Western nations have long condemned the jailing of hundreds of political activists led by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta's refusal to hand over power and its failure to craft a constitution and allow a UN special envoy to revisit.
International concern over Myanmar's spotty human rights record came into new focus because its turn to chair Asean comes next year.
The position would elevate the isolated nation to the world stage and force it to directly deal with some of its most outspoken Western critics, including the United States and the European Union, which have warned they would stall development funding and boycott meetings if Myanmar assumes the chairmanship.
Malaysian and Philippine legislators, along with pro-democracy groups, have called on ASEAN members to block Myanmar chairing Asean, warning of a loss of credibility and damage to its image.
The foreign ministers found themselves in a quandary because of Asean's noninterference policy, but nearly all of them spoke out Monday against the slow delivery of promised democratic reforms in Myanmar.
While some, including Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, earlier said they would like Myanmar to rapidly move toward democracy before it assumes Asean's leadership, the ministers eventually decided to allow Myanmar to decide whether to take the chairmanship - a move that would stave off a standoff and potential leadership crisis.
"There is a reluctance on the part of Asean to say: `You don't chair. Move on to the next person,' because once you establish that precedent, there will be problems downstream," Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said Monday. "Understandably, the foreign ministers would rather not make that move, but we communicated our concerns."
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said there was no indication what Myanmar will do.
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam reportedly back Myanmar's right to the rotating chairmanship. Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore have indicated they want to see progress in implementing reforms first.
"What we don't want is for Asean to be dragged into their domestic, political process which is at a critical, sensitive phase," Yeo said. "It is their turn to host, by right. But we know that looking farther down the road, there will be a problem. So if we can avert the problem now, early, we should."
Before Monday's meeting, Nyan Win rejected criticism and strongly suggested Myanmar would not give up its turn.
Asean, founded in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. It admitted Myanmar in 1997 despite strong opposition from Western nations.(AP) |
