Published on December 10, 2005

Asean foreign ministers feel Burma, as a fellow Asean member, must show some developments on the roadmap to democracy if they are to defend the isolated state, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said yesterday ahead of the next week’s Asean Summit.

Syed Hamid said Burma should also make clear its position on Aung San Suu Kyi, whose house arrest was extended by six months on November 27.

Although Burma did not give any indication of the release of the opposition leader at yesterday’s meeting, Asean has registered its desire to see some tangible movement on the roadmap even though it is an internal affair of that country, he said.

“We have informed Myanmar [Burma] that while we are together with them in seeing that they can come to democracy, Myanmar has also to take steps that show confidence and create credibility,” he said at the end of the meeting of the foreign ministers.

“We respect the position of Myanmar as a member of Asean but at the same time I don’t think any single country in Asean does not feel impatient, or does not feel uncomfortable, because it does create problems and difficulties for us,” he said. “We hope they will take the necessary steps without us wanting to interfere in their internal affairs. But this has created some embarrassment, some difficulties, some problems for Asean countries.”

He said the military junta took note of what Asean had done and the issue would be discussed further at the leaders’ level. He added that the meeting discussed this issue to be more responsive to the wishes of the international community.

Foreign Minister Kantathi Supamongkhon said yesterday that Asean countries have expressed serious concerns about Burma’s unprecedented relocation of its capital from Rangoon to Pyinmana because the move reflected deteriorating relations with Asean.

“We are not happy that other Asean countries were not informed beforehand that Burma, also an Asean country, decided to relocate its capital.

“This particular move can be seen that we do not have close relationship among ourselves and do not communicate so often,” Kantathi said. He was speaking as Asean foreign ministers met ahead of 11th Asean Summit on Monday. He said when Asean ministers met at a working dinner on Thursday, Burma’s Foreign Minister Nyan Win did not brief other colleagues about the relocation of the Burmese capital.

Asean countries wish to assist Burma in its move toward democracy and that it reaches the goal as soon as possible, he said. While Asean helps Burma, it has to consider the wishes of the international community as well.

Marisa Chimprabha

The Nation

Kuala Lumpur

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