i thought someone is supposed to be so talented, why the faux
pas?
ASEAN discredited over Burma, analysts
Singapore's handling of meeting under question as leaders' wilted,
say analysts.
AFP
Nov 22, 2007
Singapore - ASEAN's handling of the Burmese crisis has shattered
the regional bloc's credibility and deeply embarrassed Singapore,
the host of this week's southeast Asian summit, analysts and
activists say.
In the run-up to the gathering, Burma's ASEAN partners - under
pressure from the international community - appeared ready to press
the junta to take concrete steps towards democracy.
Instead, bickering among the leaders marred the talks meant to
focus on a landmark charter, and Rangoon, by blocking a special UN
session on its bloody suppression of pro-democracy protests in
September, emerged victorious.
In terms of the handling of it, they made a mess of it, said
Trevor Wilson, a former Australian ambassador to Burma who is now a
visiting fellow at the Australian National University.
Given that people have a lot of questions in their own mind about
how effective ASEAN is on political issues like this... to have
made such a public gaffe doesn't do them a lot of good.
The annual summit that ended on Wednesday was meant to be a
celebration, with the 10-member bloc marking its 40th anniversary
and signing its first charter aimed at turning the bloc into a more
cohesive and influential force.
But with the world's attention on Burma and how ASEAN would handle
its errant member, the bloc's apparent unity on the issue - it
expressed revulsion at the deadly violence there two months ago -
quickly crumbled.
They clashed over Singapore's decision to invite UN envoy Ibrahim
Gambari to brief leaders of ASEAN and their dialogue partners from
Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on the
crisis.
Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein refused to allow Mr Gambari to
address the session and his ASEAN counterparts blinked, forcing
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to abide by his wishes and
scrap the meeting.
ASEAN's continued commitment to `non-interference' will tend to
limit the capacity of member states to force others to adopt a
uniform approach, said Damien Kingsbury, an associate professor at
the School of International and Political Studies at Australia's
Deakin University.
Debbie Stothard, co-ordinator of the Bangkok-based Alternative
ASEAN Network on Burma, called the move particularly shocking in
the wake of the bloc's condemnation of the junta before the UN
after the crackdown.
They've gone from revulsion to intimacy, she said.
Summit host Mr Lee came under particular criticism for his handling
of the Burma issue, which revealed deep divisions among ASEAN
members, with The Philippines strongly criticising the regime and
pressing for the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu
Kyi.
It's a fatal sign of weakness especially when Singapore is seeking
to assert itself not just on the regional stage but on the world
stage as well, said Ms Stothard.
In his defence, incoming ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan of
Thailand said Mr Lee's invitation to Mr Gambari had been made with
good intention but some members were not quite ready to go ahead
with the briefing. - AFP
