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House panel opposed to Asean entry



Subject: House panel opposed to Asean entry for Burma 

02 Jun 1997 

The Nation 
House panel opposed to Asean entry for Burma 

THE House committee on foreign affairs yesterday voiced opposition to Asean's 
decision to admit Burma to the organisation in July, saying it should have 
waited for a significant improvement in the country's human rights record. 

Spokesman Noppadol Pattama said yesterday that Asean should have admitted only 
Laos and Cambodia in July, and delayed Burma's admission until the ruling 
junta had improved human rights and made satisfactory moves towards democracy. 


''Asean should have set a minimum criteria for the admission of Burma to the 
organisation. At this stage Asean should have decided only on the admission of 
Laos and Cambodia," Noppadol, a Bangkok MP from the Democrat Party, said. 

Asean foreign ministers reached the decision on Saturday morning after 
overcoming differences at an informal meeting on Friday night. 

The Philippines, Thailand and Singapore had expressed reservations over 
problems in Burma and Cambodia. 

Noppadol said Thailand should have an independent foreign policy and deal with 
Burma in a firm and constructive way. 

''We must speak to the Burmese frankly about the border problems [affecting 
Thailand] such as the dredging in the Moei River, the influx of thousands of 
refugees and illegal workers. 

''These are problems which Thailand has to shoulder and the Burmese government 
should take more responsibility," he said. 

The flood of illegal workers was becoming a social problem and threatened the 
security of the country. 

Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasan said on his return from the Asean meeting 
yesterday that the decision to admit all three countries in July was aimed at 
enhancing regional peace and security. 

He said Asean had held extensive discussions on the timing of their membership 
and agreed that further delay would not improve the situation in Burma or 
Cambodia. 

Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, chairman of the Asean 
Standing Committee, will visit Rangoon, Phnom Penh and Vientiane this month. 
Badawi will officially inform them of the decision and also reaffirm Asean's 
extended assistance to help expedite preparations for formal admission. 

All three countries were making technical preparations towards joining the 
association, but still needed more assistance in terms of personnel and 
training, Prachuab said. 

The three would be given 10 years starting from 1998 to comply with the Asean 
Free Trade Area (Afta) agreement. Burma would submit its exclusion list by 
July, and the other two before the Asean Economic Ministers' meeting in 
October. 

Prachuab said the Saturday meeting also agreed to expand the Asean secretariat 
by the appointment of an additional deputy secretary-general. 

The ministers nominated a Thai, Suthad Setboonsarng, the director general of 
the Afta bureau, for the additional post of deputy secretary-general handling 
economic matters concerning Afta. 

Indonesia's Emanuel Robert Inkiriwang, assistant to the ambassador at large 
for Non-Aligned Movement affairs, will fill the vacant position of deputy 
secretary-general and will handle political and protocol issues. 

Asean's Burma decision also triggered protests in Asia's press and strong 
warnings from Japan that it could pose an economic burden on the grouping. 

The Yomiuri Shimbun said: ''Asean will need to step up political and economic 
assistance to the new members, as there is no guarantee that both countries 
[Burma and Cambodia] would not plunge into a political turmoil." 

Burmese students in exile warned that attempts to develop relations with the 
junta had only led to increased repression. 

''The ministers made a conscious decision to blatantly ignore the wishes of 
the Burma's citizens," the All Burma Students Democratic Foundation said in a 
statement. 

It said Burma should be admitted only after making concrete democratic 
reforms.