This picture provided by the United Nations shows UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meeting Myanmar junta leader Than Shwe in Naypyidaw on July 4, 2009.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy leader faces up to five years in jail on charges of breaching her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside residence in May.
The ruling junta has defied international outrage about her trial and dealt a humiliating snub to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by refusing to allow him to visit the opposition figurehead when he visited the country earlier this month.
The issue is set to be a major topic on the agenda of the 27-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum, the region’s biggest security dialogue, and associated meetings starting Sunday.
Hillary factor
The presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also add to the pressure on Myanmar’s ruling generals, while China, the junta’s key backer, will also be at the forum.
But historically there has been little that anyone can do to force the regime’s hand, said Bridget Welsh, an associate professor of political science at the Singapore Management University.
“Most certainly Clinton’s presence will build pressure, but pressure alone has proven not to be effective. The aim should be to broaden the dialogue with the region to allow for more points of discussion,” Welsh told Agence France-Presse.
The 10-member Asean spoke out strongly against the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi but has faced international criticism in the past for failing to take on Myanmar, the most troublesome member of the bloc.
Welsh recommended that Asean take a carrot-and-stick approach.
“Asean has little traction on this issue. It needs to continue to illustrate its concerns for the issue of the trial and political pressure, while simultaneously engaging in the area of humanitarian relief,” she said.
“Asean needs to maintain communication with the region through the network it has deepened over the last few years”, including its assistance following deadly Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in May 2008.
No leverage
The international community has, however, struggled to find any leverage with Myanmar’s military, which has ruled the country since 1962 and kept Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for most of the last two decades.
Her party won the country’s last elections in 1990 but was never allowed to take office. Critics say her trial is a way for the junta to keep her locked up for elections promised by the junta in 2010.
The elections will be held under a widely criticized constitution voted in just days after Nargis, which provides a major role for the military in any government and bars Aung San Suu Kyi from standing.
Sanctions by the United States and European Union have failed to bite—yet Ban’s hopes that his success in persuading Myanmar to accept cyclone aid last year would be repeated with regards to political prisoners were dashed.
Activists urged the ministers meeting this week to get tough.
“It is imperative that Asean undertake additional and unified actions to ensure that Myanmar begins a process of national reconciliation,” the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, an advocacy group, said in a statement.
“Strong, integrated and decisive action by Asean and its member-states will serve as an effective indicator to the junta that they must begin the reconciliation process or face regional and international rebuke,” it said.
ARF background
Established in 1994, the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) is an annual gathering of foreign ministers of countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The Forum was initiated as part of an attempt to separate discussions on political and security issues of Post-Ministerial Conferences, a mechanism in which Asean engages with its dialogue partners, from discussions on other issues, in order to facilitate more in-depth discussions and concrete outcomes on issues relating to the region’s security.
At present, the Forum comprises 26 countries and one organization: the 10 Asean member states, the 10 Asean Dialogue Partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States), and seven other countries in the Asia and Pacific region (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan, East Timor, Mongolia, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea). It is noteworthy that all major countries with leading international roles, whether as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, or participants in the Six-Party Talks on the situation in the Korean Peninsula, are represented in the Asean Regional Forum.
In this upcoming Forum, besides the discussion on following-up on and review of activities in the past year, other main topics of discussion are expected to include the future direction of the Asean Regional Forum. The participating foreign ministers are expected to adopt a number of documents including the Forum’s vision statement, its work plan on counter terrorism and transnational crime 2009 to 2010 and its work plan on disaster relief 2009 to 2011.
Monday, July 20, 2009
DTN News: Myanmar Junta Braces For Pressure
DTN News: Myanmar Junta Braces For Pressure
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) PHUKET, Thailand - July 20, 2009: Military-ruled Myanmar is set to face renewed pressure over its trial of Aung San Suu Kyi when foreign ministers and diplomats from Asia, Washington and Europe meet this week, analysts say. This picture provided by the United Nations shows UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meeting Myanmar junta leader Than Shwe in Naypyidaw on July 4, 2009.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy leader faces up to five years in jail on charges of breaching her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside residence in May.
The ruling junta has defied international outrage about her trial and dealt a humiliating snub to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by refusing to allow him to visit the opposition figurehead when he visited the country earlier this month.
The issue is set to be a major topic on the agenda of the 27-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum, the region’s biggest security dialogue, and associated meetings starting Sunday.
Hillary factor
The presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also add to the pressure on Myanmar’s ruling generals, while China, the junta’s key backer, will also be at the forum.
But historically there has been little that anyone can do to force the regime’s hand, said Bridget Welsh, an associate professor of political science at the Singapore Management University.
“Most certainly Clinton’s presence will build pressure, but pressure alone has proven not to be effective. The aim should be to broaden the dialogue with the region to allow for more points of discussion,” Welsh told Agence France-Presse.
The 10-member Asean spoke out strongly against the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi but has faced international criticism in the past for failing to take on Myanmar, the most troublesome member of the bloc.
Welsh recommended that Asean take a carrot-and-stick approach.
“Asean has little traction on this issue. It needs to continue to illustrate its concerns for the issue of the trial and political pressure, while simultaneously engaging in the area of humanitarian relief,” she said.
“Asean needs to maintain communication with the region through the network it has deepened over the last few years”, including its assistance following deadly Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in May 2008.
No leverage
The international community has, however, struggled to find any leverage with Myanmar’s military, which has ruled the country since 1962 and kept Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for most of the last two decades.
Her party won the country’s last elections in 1990 but was never allowed to take office. Critics say her trial is a way for the junta to keep her locked up for elections promised by the junta in 2010.
The elections will be held under a widely criticized constitution voted in just days after Nargis, which provides a major role for the military in any government and bars Aung San Suu Kyi from standing.
Sanctions by the United States and European Union have failed to bite—yet Ban’s hopes that his success in persuading Myanmar to accept cyclone aid last year would be repeated with regards to political prisoners were dashed.
Activists urged the ministers meeting this week to get tough.
“It is imperative that Asean undertake additional and unified actions to ensure that Myanmar begins a process of national reconciliation,” the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, an advocacy group, said in a statement.
“Strong, integrated and decisive action by Asean and its member-states will serve as an effective indicator to the junta that they must begin the reconciliation process or face regional and international rebuke,” it said.
ARF background
Established in 1994, the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) is an annual gathering of foreign ministers of countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The Forum was initiated as part of an attempt to separate discussions on political and security issues of Post-Ministerial Conferences, a mechanism in which Asean engages with its dialogue partners, from discussions on other issues, in order to facilitate more in-depth discussions and concrete outcomes on issues relating to the region’s security.
At present, the Forum comprises 26 countries and one organization: the 10 Asean member states, the 10 Asean Dialogue Partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States), and seven other countries in the Asia and Pacific region (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan, East Timor, Mongolia, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea). It is noteworthy that all major countries with leading international roles, whether as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, or participants in the Six-Party Talks on the situation in the Korean Peninsula, are represented in the Asean Regional Forum.
In this upcoming Forum, besides the discussion on following-up on and review of activities in the past year, other main topics of discussion are expected to include the future direction of the Asean Regional Forum. The participating foreign ministers are expected to adopt a number of documents including the Forum’s vision statement, its work plan on counter terrorism and transnational crime 2009 to 2010 and its work plan on disaster relief 2009 to 2011.
This picture provided by the United Nations shows UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meeting Myanmar junta leader Than Shwe in Naypyidaw on July 4, 2009.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy leader faces up to five years in jail on charges of breaching her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside residence in May.
The ruling junta has defied international outrage about her trial and dealt a humiliating snub to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by refusing to allow him to visit the opposition figurehead when he visited the country earlier this month.
The issue is set to be a major topic on the agenda of the 27-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum, the region’s biggest security dialogue, and associated meetings starting Sunday.
Hillary factor
The presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will also add to the pressure on Myanmar’s ruling generals, while China, the junta’s key backer, will also be at the forum.
But historically there has been little that anyone can do to force the regime’s hand, said Bridget Welsh, an associate professor of political science at the Singapore Management University.
“Most certainly Clinton’s presence will build pressure, but pressure alone has proven not to be effective. The aim should be to broaden the dialogue with the region to allow for more points of discussion,” Welsh told Agence France-Presse.
The 10-member Asean spoke out strongly against the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi but has faced international criticism in the past for failing to take on Myanmar, the most troublesome member of the bloc.
Welsh recommended that Asean take a carrot-and-stick approach.
“Asean has little traction on this issue. It needs to continue to illustrate its concerns for the issue of the trial and political pressure, while simultaneously engaging in the area of humanitarian relief,” she said.
“Asean needs to maintain communication with the region through the network it has deepened over the last few years”, including its assistance following deadly Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in May 2008.
No leverage
The international community has, however, struggled to find any leverage with Myanmar’s military, which has ruled the country since 1962 and kept Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for most of the last two decades.
Her party won the country’s last elections in 1990 but was never allowed to take office. Critics say her trial is a way for the junta to keep her locked up for elections promised by the junta in 2010.
The elections will be held under a widely criticized constitution voted in just days after Nargis, which provides a major role for the military in any government and bars Aung San Suu Kyi from standing.
Sanctions by the United States and European Union have failed to bite—yet Ban’s hopes that his success in persuading Myanmar to accept cyclone aid last year would be repeated with regards to political prisoners were dashed.
Activists urged the ministers meeting this week to get tough.
“It is imperative that Asean undertake additional and unified actions to ensure that Myanmar begins a process of national reconciliation,” the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, an advocacy group, said in a statement.
“Strong, integrated and decisive action by Asean and its member-states will serve as an effective indicator to the junta that they must begin the reconciliation process or face regional and international rebuke,” it said.
ARF background
Established in 1994, the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) is an annual gathering of foreign ministers of countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
The Forum was initiated as part of an attempt to separate discussions on political and security issues of Post-Ministerial Conferences, a mechanism in which Asean engages with its dialogue partners, from discussions on other issues, in order to facilitate more in-depth discussions and concrete outcomes on issues relating to the region’s security.
At present, the Forum comprises 26 countries and one organization: the 10 Asean member states, the 10 Asean Dialogue Partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States), and seven other countries in the Asia and Pacific region (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan, East Timor, Mongolia, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea). It is noteworthy that all major countries with leading international roles, whether as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, or participants in the Six-Party Talks on the situation in the Korean Peninsula, are represented in the Asean Regional Forum.
In this upcoming Forum, besides the discussion on following-up on and review of activities in the past year, other main topics of discussion are expected to include the future direction of the Asean Regional Forum. The participating foreign ministers are expected to adopt a number of documents including the Forum’s vision statement, its work plan on counter terrorism and transnational crime 2009 to 2010 and its work plan on disaster relief 2009 to 2011.
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