ASEAN hopes junta will continue talks

By Amit Baruah

HANOI, JULY 27.The Myanmar Foreign Minister, Mr. U Win Aung, is a relieved man. He said as much at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference interaction with the press today.

In a brief statement at the press conference, Mr. U Win Aung said the current ASEAN interactions, of the three he had attended so far, had been the ``best one'' for him. There was, the Myanmar Foreign Minister said, a new atmosphere of understanding for the country's efforts at national reconciliation - a euphemism for the military Government's dialogue with Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi.

Since the last meeting of ASEAN/ARF at Bangkok last July, talks began between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader, taking some pressure off the Government. In the past, the issue of Myanmar has clouded ASEAN's relations, especially with the European Union. The dialogue process in Myanmar, it would appear, has helped in significantly defusing diplomatic tensions over this contentious issue. Addressing a press conference today, the Belgian Foreign Minister, Mr. Louise Michel (Belgium now holds the E.U. presidency), hoped that the recent developments in ``Burma/Myanmar'' would take that country on the way back to democracy, national reconciliation and the rule of law.

``It is essential that the current discussions between the authorities and the Opposition continue and develop into a real process of rebuilding the nation in harmony...I am confident that the E.U. will support a genuine, irreversible process of transition towards democracy in Rangoon (Yangon),'' Mr. Michel said.

In response to questions, the E.U. Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Chris Patten, said the next steps in Myanmar were now awaited - after the release of some political detainees and the opening of NLD offices in Yangon. ``We have to wait,'' Mr. Patten said at the press conference. To a question if the E.U. had some kind of loose deadline in mind to take the Myanmar process to fruition, he replied: ``I hope the process is not only irreversible, but also rapid...'' There was no point, he said, in putting forward any kind of deadline. The intention, he said, was not to impose a solution from outside. ``It does not make sense to put a time-table,'' the E.U. Commissioner stated. To a question if the E.U. would now move to lift sanctions against Myanmar, Mr. Patten said unless and until there was ``significant progress'', the sanctions would remain in place.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : U.S. warns Iraq against attacks in no-fly zone
Next     : India for increased technological cooperation
           with ASEAN