Burma slaps on Asean face

Burma's Prime Minister Thein Sein told the Asean leaders during a working dinner late Monday night before the summit that Gambari should only report to the UN Security Council and not to the Asean or the East Asia Summit.

The military government made clear to the Asean leaders that situation in the country was a domestic affair and that Burma was fully capable of handling the situation by itself.

Gambari had visited Burma four times, and that Burma had implemented many of his proposals, Thein Sein was quoted as saying to his colleagues.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the chair of group issued his urgent statement asking the military junta to continue cooperation with the UN envoy.

"The leaders noted that the recent visit by Professor Gambari had resulted in several steps in the right direction," he said in a written statement read to journalists after the dinner.

"Most leaders expressed the view that Myanmar (Burma) could not go back or stay put. The process of national reconciliation had to move forward, and the UN played a role in this process," he added.

However, Prime Minister Lee did not regard the reaction from Burma as a slap on the Asean and the host Singapore saying that Burma issue is a difficult and complex issue.

"It is difficult problem for Myanmar and it is difficult problem which Asean would like to be helpful to Myanmar on, because we see Myanmar as the member of Asean family and we would like help Myanmar to make progress on national reconciliation," Lee told reporters.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who handled the Burma issue since he was foreign minister in 1991, helped to explain to Burmese leader about the Asean's frustration and how the group was serious about the problem, Lee said.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Asean still have chances to engage with Burma to push the military-ruled country forward to national reconciliation but it was up to Burma's decision.

by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation