Asean leaders soft on most unruly member

Friday, 09 April 2010 21:19 Larry Jagan

HANOI (Mizzima) - Southeast Asian leaders have urged Burma’s military regime to hold “inclusive” elections that will lead to genuine national reconciliation amid growing international controversy over the junta’s planned polls later this year.

The main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has vowed to boycott the vote, which they have denounced as designed to keep the junta in power, while paying lip service to the notion of introducing an elected civilian government.

In the chairman’s statement at the end of the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in the Vietnamese capital on Friday called on Burma to stick to its “road map to democracy” and hold free, fair and inclusive elections.

“We underscored the importance of national reconciliation in Myanmar [Burma] and the holding of the general election in a free, fair and inclusive manner, thus contributing to Myanmar’s stability and development,” the statement said.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, whose country holds the current Asean chairmanship, said at the final press conference: “The elections should be free and democratic with the participation of all parties involved.” He added, “This would stabilise the country, creating a base for economic development.”

This is the mildest Asean statement for nearly a decade, avoiding mentioning the NLD or Aung San Suu Kyi. With the political problems engulfing the Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva - which prevented him attending the summit - overshadowing the proceedings, Burma was let off relatively unscathed.

The Vietnamese though were at pains to make sure the reference to Burma was as mild as possible, according to Asian diplomats at the summit. Vietnam as the chair controls the statement, though it has to be agreed to by all member countries before it is formally adopted.

“Vietnam is not interested in the politics, they simply see Burma as an investment opportunity,” a Vietnamese journalist who knows the party leadership well told Mizzima, but declined to be identified for fear of getting into trouble.

A sign of this new relationship is the newly opened direct air link between Hanoi and Rangoon. It may have also not been a coincidence that Mr Nguyen visited Burma shortly before the summit opened. Hanoi is also keen to woo Burma away from the Chinese, and have been advising them strongly behind the scenes to engage Washington. But there are some signs that the regional leaders may be getting tired of the regime’s lack of transparency and unwillingness to open.

“All we were told by the Burmese Prime Minister [General] Thein Sein was that there would be elections this year, the five laws controlling the process have been published, and the political parties are now registering,” the Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told Mizzima.
When the Election Commisison has completed the preparations, it would announce the date, Mr Surin said. “We were given no other details.”

However he declined to say whether Asean leaders had given the junta’s two representatives a hard time, or even questioned their position.

The Asean head was obviously getting frustrated, but would not be drawn. “On the Myanmar issue, we just have to have patience,” he mused.

But some Asian countries have not given up hope of influencing the junta before the election.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told Mizzima it was important for Burma to make the transition to democracy. “We want very much to see an election that is going to obtain international recognition and credibility.”

Indonesia had also offered its help and experience, he added said.

But Asean is well aware that they actually have very little influence on the regime. “We are not in a position to punish Myanmar,” the Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo told journalists at the summit. “If China and India remain engaged with Myanmar, then we have to.”

But that aside, several Asean members - especially Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand - are continuing to remind the junta of the promises they have made to hold an internationally acceptable election.

“The coming months will be critical months for Myanmar,” Yeo said, but added: “In the end, what happens in Myanmar is for the Myanmar people to decide. We are outsiders … we hope that they would make progress quickly.”