Singapore prime minister to visit Myanmar next week

0 Comments | Asian Political News, March 28, 2005

SINGAPORE, March 28 Kyodo

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Myanmar as part of a three-day tour beginning Tuesday that will also take him to Laos and Cambodia, his office said Monday.

The move comes as some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are reportedly attempting to bypass Myanmar from the rotating chairmanship of the grouping due to its slow progress in restoring democracy. Myanmar is due to assume the position in July 2006.

In Wednesday, Lee will meet in Yangon with Myanmar Prime Minister Soe Win and Senior Gen. Than Shwe, chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council.

Although Lee's office described the visit as part of an introductory tour to the region since he became prime minister last year, officials and analysts said Myanmar's reticence on democratic reforms will likely to be a key issue on the agenda when Lee is in the country.

Lee will be accompanied by Foreign Minister George Yeo, who said in parliament recently that some hard messages may have to be put across to Myanmar because what happens there affects ASEAN's credibility and cohesion.

In recent weeks, a rift has emerged among ASEAN's 10 member countries on whether to allow Myanmar to take over the grouping's chairmanship and host the ASEAN summit in December 2006 and other key ASEAN meetings during 2007.

The position of chairman of ASEAN's Standing Committee rotates annually among the 10 members in alphabetical order. Malaysia is set to take over the post from Laos in July and will host the next ASEAN summit in December.

One of ASEAN's main concerns is that the grouping's Western dialogue partners, including the United States and members of the European Union, may boycott key ASEAN meetings if Myanmar's military regime continues to drag its feet on reforms.

These countries take part in ASEAN's annual gathering of foreign ministers, which would be hosted by Myanmar in July 2007 if it chairs ASEAN for a year from July 2006 as planned.

Any decision to drop Myanmar would have to be endorsed by all 10 ASEAN members, including Myanmar itself, as all decisions in the grouping are made by consensus.

While ASEAN members, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, have expressed frustration with Myanmar, others like Cambodia have expressed support for Myanmar's chairing of the grouping. ASEAN also includes Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam.