SE Asia cannot afford to isolate Myanmar: S'pore

LazerLordz SG

Agence France Presse
July 26, 2005
VIENTIANE

SE Asia cannot afford to isolate Myanmar: S'pore

ISOLATING Myanmar would not be in Southeast Asia's interests because the military regime has its "gates" open to emerging regional giants China and India, Singapore's foreign minister said Tuesday, July 26.

Foreign Minister George Yeo said he did not believe that with ramped up pressure and "the wave of a wand, all the problems (in Myanmar) will be solved and everybody will live happily ever after."

US and EU sanctions on Myanmar's internationally condemned junta have done little to bring real change to the country.

"But Myanmar has the back gate to China wide open. India, in its own geo-strategic calculation, has decided to keep its side gate to Myanmar open," Yeo said at a news conference.

"So it must be in the interest of ASEAN to keep our side gate open whatever happens in Myanmar.

Nonetheless, "Myanmar has decided from very early that it would rather be a part of Southeast Asia than be a part of South Asia and we welcome that," he said.

Yeo was speaking after foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced that Myanmar had taken the unprecedented decision to skip the chairmanship of the grouping next year.

Myanmar said the decision, which came after months of pressure from the United States and European Union, was to enable it to concentrate on its "democratisation process".
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Views ?Do you think Burma is willing and sincere to walk the path of democracy? Rolling Eyes

oxford mushroom SG

Does it matter? How democratic are we?

Atobe SG

Is it in the interest of ASEAN to stay engage with Myanmar; or is it in the interest of SINGAPORE to have ASEAN staying engaged with Myanmar ?

With so much investments made by the Singapore Government in Myanmar, through all the Government Linked Companies, it is little wonder that our Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo is so persuasive to convince fellow ASEAN Countries not to abandon Myanmar.

Is it so bad for Myanmar to lean closer to China and / or India ?

If there is active and positive bi-lateral relationships between Myanmar and India, and Myanmar and China, it can only mean that there is lesser leverage for the Singapore Government to apply to protect its own investments.

The more progressive and openly democratic countries of ASEAN - (such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand) - are openly critical of Myanmar's internal policy that does not respect the "People's Will" in the last election - (when it was confirmed that the Opposition had won an overwhelming majority); and that the Military Junta continue to hold all the reigns of power and refuse to loosen the hold on the Opposition candidate - Aung San Su Chi.

It remains only the un-Democratic countries in this region to support the concept of 'non-interference' in one another's internal affairs, and advocate the continued engagement of Myanmar.

Should an issue of conscience appear, these un-Democratic countries in ASEAN will merely discuss the issues from a spectators' point of views.

The ASEAN countries will not interfere nor pressure the Myanmar Government, who will customarily reject all persuasions to free the leader of the Opposition Group, and for the Military Junta to step down.

LazerLordz SG

Singapore and Myanmar are thought to have links going way far back.And for us to preach democracy to them, on one hand it feels good, but we all know its plain hypocrisy.

Atobe SG

Originally posted by LazerLordz:
Singapore and Myanmar are thought to have links going way far back.And for us to preach democracy to them, on one hand it feels good, but we all know its plain hypocrisy.

Singapore certainly have links with Myanmar since - at least - the early 1970s, with small time trading of minerals and agricultural products.

With the need for a bigger market for the military weapons that are produced for our SAF, by our Singapore Technologies and Chartered Industries, we have to find a 'captive market' in order to achieve a critical mass in manufacturing output so as to lower the cost of weapons manufactered for our SAF.

The Military Junta that ruled Myanmar has had difficulties in obtaining high quality weapons from Western Countries, to fight their long drawn insurgency Civil Wars with several ethnic tribes.

Singapore's manufactures small and large calibre weapons and ammunition are based on western technologies, with the patents wholly owned by Singapore, which does not require Singapore to seek approval from any overseas Governments or patent holders. This has benefited both Singapore and Myanmar.

Our Singapore Government position is that it is in Singapore's best interest for Myanmar to remain a stable country ruled by the Military, and has quietly persuaded and guided the Military Junta to soften its image - much as our Ruling Party a.k.a the Singapore Government has done to spruce up their own Public Image for domestic and overseas consumption.