decisions, has been hailed as given the grouping flexibility. But in reality, consensus is as much a weakness as strength. Until now, Asean always had an enemy to force members to close ranks when trouble surfaced. In recent years it was the security threat posed by the Cambodian civil war and before that Vietnam. Indeed, it is one of the great ironies of this year's meeting that Asian should be welcoming in Vietnam, the communist power whose rise in the 1960s prompted the formation of the grouping. But with Vietnam now a fellow member rather than a perceived threat to security, Asean needs to become more of a pro-active rather than reactive body. Regional forum It was obvious at last year's founding meeting of the Asean Regional Forum, a series of discussions designed to address security issues, that when faced with difficult issues, Asean member states are more likely to retreat than assert themselves and risk endangering this much vaunted "consensus". As a result, the Asean countries found their own forum being dominated by issues such as the Korean nuclear stand-off which did not have a direct or immediate bearing on the region. Encouragingly, Asean took a united stand against China earlier this year when Beijing and Manila exchanged cross words over their conflicting claims to the Spratly Islands, quietly but firmly reminding the Chinese of the concern their actions were causing. Asean foreign ministers meet this week to usher in an end to an era of confrontation. The future promises to be more prosperous and peaceful than the past but it will not come to be without hard work and a willingness to face prickly issues. ===== item ===== 'SHOW SLORC WE TRUST THEM,' SUU KYI URGES BURMA'S MINORITIES 26/7/95 The Nation, Agencies RANGOON - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has urged more than a dozen armed ethnic guerrilla groups and the military junta to establish mutual trust in an attempt to resolve the country's four-decade-old internal turmoil. "It is because they [ethnic minorities] do not have confidence in the central Burmese government that we have all these problems," Suu Kyi said at a press conference on Monday. Suu Kyi, whose commitment to restore democracy and human rights has earned her huge popularity among the Burmese people, including the country's diversified ethnic minorities, said she believes there is nothing, geographically or economically, that should stand in the way of uniting all the ethnic nationalities in Burma. "I feel that establishing trust with the government, showing them that we value them and understand their feelings would enable us to achieve unity," said the 50-year-old 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was unexpectedly released on July 10 after nearly six years of house arrest. "In the end, if they feel they can trust us, I think we can build a strong union," she said. Suu Kyi, who has insisted that dialogue among all parties concerned is the key to national reconciliation, reaffirmed that the leadership of the party she co-founded, the National League for Democracy (NLD), remains united despite the arrest of several key members by the ruling junta and the exile of several elected party MPS. She said Burma's economic growth in the past six years has not dampened the people's desire for political reform. "The overt demand for democracy has quietened down, but this has nothing to do with what the people fear inside, or because of the restrictions placed on such reforms," she said. Suu Kyi said economic growth has affected only a few privileged people, not the country as a whole, and questioned if ongoing international investments and the Asean policy of "constructive engagement" towards the government, known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), really benefits the common people of Burma. "This is not the time to rush in with investment and foreign aid. Please wait and see which direction [national reconciliation] heads,"she said, repeating her statement made immediately after her release. She stressed the importance for Thailand and Burma to have a strong relationship because the two countries shared a long, common frontier. "I would like to see the government of Thailand shape their policy in such a way that there can be a good relationship between the people of Burma and the people of Thailand," she said. "In my opinion, this may be perhaps the most idealistic way of looking at things, you should always give more sympathy and compassion to people that are weaker then you." Meanwhile, the United States, pleased and surprised by the release of Suu Kyi, will maintain pressure on Burma's military rulers for return to civilian government, a top official says. "The regime is as you know, illegal...Our position is very clear, privately and publicly, on what we think should be the outcome in Burma- a restoration of the people's mandate," Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Winston Lord told a US Senate panel hearing on Monday. "Yes, yes and yes," Lord replied when asked if the 1990 election won handily by the NLD was free and fair and had a clear result. The Slorc seized power in September 1998 and refused to surrender control despite the 1990 balloting, which was regarded as a referendum against their rule. Suu Kyi's release "is only the begining of what promises to be a long, slow process," Lord said. But now, "there is some reason to hope that Burma might take the steps it must to emerge from a long period of isolation and oppression." ===== item ===== ASEAN DECIDES TO PLAY IT COOL WITH RANGOON Bangkok post/26.7.95 by Supapohn Kanwerayotin and Bhanravee Tansubhapol] Bandar Seri Begawan The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will plat it cool with Burma. It will leave the door open for Burma's involvement in the group but will not commit itself to quick admission of the country ruled by a widely reviled junta. Burmese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw, who will be attending the annual Asean foreign ministers' meeting here as "guest of the host" for the second consecutive year, is expected to present the "instrument of accession" to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation this Friday, when he meets ASEAN chairman Brunei Foreign Minister Prince Mohammed Bolkiah. But ASEAN will not be granting Burma automatic observership. ASEAN does not want to hurry in embracing Burma, since the recent release of Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi has just opened a floodgate of other political problems in Burma. Freeing Mrs Suu Kyi, who the junta kept under horse arrest for six years, is a "constructive sign", but no one can read Burma's future, according to M.R. Thep Devakul, permanet secretary for foreign affairs. "We are sure the constructive engagement policy (that ASEAN has applied to Burma since 1988) is good, but whether it played a role in bringing about Mrs Suu Kyi's release, we are not so sure," M.R Thep said when asked how ASEAN assessed this policy which goes against the western view favouring pressure and sanctions against Burma. At their meeting on Monday to lay the groundwork for the ministerial conference which starts this weekend, senior ASEAN officials wilcomed recent developments in Burma, in particular the release of Mrs Suu Kyi and Burma's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. "With Burma's accession to the treaty, ASEAN offers the possibility for it to be and observer a future ASEAN ministerial meetings. If Burma has shown the wish, I don't see why we should not let them in," M.R thep said on Monday night. After acceding to the treaty, Burma is on track toward being an ASEAN observer, a status held by Laos. As an observer Burma can take part in the ASEAN Regional Forum, a vehicle for security dialogue that brings ASEAN and its observers face to face with major world powers such as the US, China and Japan. Vietnam has been an observer for the last two years and will be admitted as a full member on Friday, joining Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Also this Friday, ASEAN will welcome Cambodia as an observer. M.R Thep recalled that Thailand first suggested the idea of Burma getting involved in ASEAN in the 1970s, an offer Rangoon then declined, stating it wanted to be independent and neutral. Burma resigned from the Non-Aligned Movement some time ago, stating the group was no longer non-aligned. According to Mr Ohn Gyaw, the instrument of accession is a letter he signed which he described as the "declaration of what each government will do to accede to the treaty". ASEAN officials stressed that accession to the so-called Bali Treaty does not guarantee automatic observer status. "Observer status is not related to the treaty accession. After accession, there is yet another procedure of application to be an observer which ASEAN needs to consider," an ASEAN diplomat said. But in an interview with the Bangkok Post earlier this month in Rangoon, Mr Ohn Gyaw pointed to the case of Cambodia. "I will hand over my accession instruments to the chairman, who will them take over the procedure. For example, as far as I know, Cambodia has presented this instrument of accession and then, in Brunei, Cambodia will become an observer," he said. ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to voice concern over nuclear test activities, but they will stop short of mentioning China and France or any other country. Work is under way to finalise the draft declaration for the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, which ASEAN plans to unveil at its leaders' summit in December in Bangkok. ===== item ===== ~PROPOSED SUU KYI TRIBUTE QUESTIONED 26 JULY 1995 A senior army yesterday questioned the decision of Thammasat University to renew its invitation to Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Thailand to receive an honorary doctor ate in political science. "I don't know what their real motive is. They need to weigh the pros and cons [of inviting Suu Kyi]," said Lt Gen Bundit Malai- arisoon, commander of the First Army Region. Anel Lao-thammathat, vice rector of Thammasat, told The Nation yesterday the university decided in 1991 to confer the honorary doctorate upon the Burmese opposition leader. "It is in honour of her peaceful struggle for democracy in her country," he said. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest one year before the Na tional League for Democracy, the political party she co-founded, won the general election in May 1990. Anek said the university has renewed the invitation to Suu Kyi in the wake of her release. "Since we have no channel of communica tion with her, we want the media to pass on the message to her," he said. Anek said because Suu Kyi had indicated she would travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991, she could therefore stop over in Bangkok to accept the degree. Lt Gen Bundit said yesterday the invitation would have both positive and negative effects. "It would be alright if it does not have an impact on our relations with our neighbour," he said. Anek said the decision to award Suu Kyi the honorary degree was made by the university council after consultation with Foreign Ministry officials. (TN) ===== item ===== ~WRONG TIME FOR SANCTIONS ON BURMA: US OFFICIAL 26 JULY 1995 A top US official said on Monday that imposing unilateral eco nomic sanctions on Burma in an attempt to foster democracy there would be counterproductive. "This is not the right time," Winston Lord, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, told s Senate hear ing. "The evidence on the effectiveness of economic sanctions is clear," Lord said. "They are not effective without broad interna tional support." Since the release from prison earlier this month of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, there is "no support" for sanctions from the international community, Lord added. Lord also expressed concern that provisions of the proposed sanctions would violate international accords, adding that the United States should not penalize the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) when positive measures are being taken. Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and chairman of the Senate foreign appropriations subcommittee, has threatened to introduce a bill imposing sanctions on Burma if speedy efforts are not made by Rangoon on democracy and human rights. The proposed 1995 Free Burma Act would require President Bill Clinton to verify that the military junta known as Slorc had freed all political prisoners, handed over power to delegates elected in 1990, and implemented an effective anti-narcotics programme. Failing that, the legislation would ban US trade with, investment in and travel to Burma, suspend all preferential trade privi leges, cease aid to countries selling arms to Burma, and down grade diplomatic ties. Lord told McConnell that current diplomatic pressures are more appropriate. He said Burma has been "decertified" under a law that requires countries to prove they have cooperated with US authorities in drug-trafficking before receiving certain assis tance. Lord also advocated the continued denial of direct development aide and tariff breaks, and said the Clinton administration would oppose lending assistance from international financial institu tions and seek to maintain an international but "informal" arms embargo. However, the assistant secretary said the administration supports continued contact with the Slorc and advocated the continued funding of the United Nations Development Program, and UN drug control assistance. And he said the United States would seek Aung San Suu Kyi's views on the situation in Burma "and how the international community can assist her in moving the process in Burma forward." Despite urging continued links with the military junta in Burma, Lord said the United States did not have "unrealistic expectations" about the prospect for a rapid lurch toward demo cratic rule. "Engregious human rights violations continue. Burmese citizens are routinely rounded up and forced to carry military equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Burmese army," he said. "There's forced labour on the roads, the railroads and other infrastruc ture projects." Also testifying at the hearing was Robert Gelbard, assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and crime. He called Burma "the epicentre of worldwide production of illicit opiates," and said the heroin problem in the United States could not be tackled without dealing a blow to production there. (TN) ===== item ===== ~CHARAN URGES GOVT TO STOP INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 26 July 1995 THAILAND needs to stop the influx of people from neighbouring coun tries especially along the northern border with Burma as it is a causing social problems and affecting national security, National Security Council secretary-general Charan Kullavanijaya said yester day. Gen Charan made the statement during a speech at the seminar of the Office of Highland Development and Cash Crop Planting Control, Third Army Area at Duang Tawan Hotel, Chiang Mai. Attending the seminar on the new master plan to develop the highland community over the next five years, were 170 officials of six con cerned ministries, provincial sectors and non-governmental organisa tions. The new plan on developing the standard of living of highland people and a drug suppression policy will be linked with the Quadrangle Economic Cooperation Plan to open the northern border to neighbouring countries to boost economic cooperation. Gen Charan said it is good to anticipate possible problems from such plans as it will help Thailand to prepare for them. It will have to know how to cope with drug and human trafficking along the new route. He added that it is necessary to contain immigrants along the Thai- Burmese border in certain settlements so as to send them back home whenever the situation allows. It would also prevent them from migrat ing further into Thailand. Official figures show Thailand has about 570,000 hill tribe people in 20 provinces, mostly in the North. But the actual number is over 700,000. The migration along the Thai-Burmese border has added more to the number. More than 80,000 Burmese immigrants, forced to leave their home by fighting at the border, are currently accommodated at about 22 tempo rary shelters along the border in Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. We are trying to reduce the number of temporary shelters as to be easily taken care of because they cost money. We pay 20 baht each day for each person in the temporary shelters, he said. Thailand cannot push them back to Burma while fighting is going on as this is against human rights, Gen Charan said. Thailand has spent more than 489 million baht during 1992-1995 on developing hill tribe life. In 1996, the government is expected to allocate around 271 million baht for such work. The immigrants are at risk of being exploited by human traffickers in Thailand, he said. Gen Charan estimated Thailand currently has more than 300,000 Burmese immigrants. It is hard to think about the number of Chinese aliens in Thailand but police arrest around 300 of them every month. He expressed optimism that these people would want to return home when the fighting ends.(BP) ===== item ===== ~SPECIAL BRANCH TO PROVIDE TIGHT SECURITY FOR SUU KYI 26 July 1995 THE Special Branch police will provide tight security for Burmese pro- democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during her trip to Thailand, Commis sioner Veera Visuthakul said yesterday. His remark was in response to reports that Thammasat University would grant an honourary doctorate to Aung San Suu Kyi for her struggle for democracy in Burma. It was earlier reported that the Burmese opposition leader would travel to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and visit Thailand before returning home; however no schedule has made so far, said Pol Lt-Gen Veera. What Special Branch police have to do is beef up security for Suu Kyi during her stay as the country's guest, he said. On a suggestion that Burmese students in Bangkok would stage a gather ing to welcome her, the Special Branch commissioner said well-wishers would be allowed to do so but they not violate the law.(BP) =============================================================== <>