[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

AAP_19.7.96: DOWNER - OUR MAN AT TH



Subject: AAP_19.7.96: DOWNER - OUR MAN AT THE BATTLE FRONT.

	FED: DOWNER TO CONFRONT BURMA OVER DEMOCRACY CRACKDOWN
ASEAN DOWNER (CANBERRA)
   Foreign Affairs Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER will confront his
Burmese counterpart over the crackdown on democracy campaigners at
the annual ASEAN regional forum in Jakarta next week.
	   Burma is expected to dominate the annual forum, which has now
become the key gathering on Australia's diplomatic calendar.
	   Mr DOWNER will hold bilateral talks with at least 10 of his
regional counterparts, meeting Burmese foreign minister U OHN GYAW
(U OHN GYAW) on Monday.
	   Burma, along with India is attending the forum for the first
time as an observer.
	   Foreign affairs department officials say the focus will be the
reluctance of Burma's military rulers to hold meaningful talks with
the pro-democracy movement led by AUNG SAN SU KYI.
	
	
	   ASEAN groups Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei,
Philippines and Vietnam. The forum also brings together their
dialogue partners including the US, China, Russia, Japan, Canada
and Australia.
	   AAP RTV mgl/msk/sb

/* WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN JULY 20-21 */
DOWNER TO CONFIRM ASEAN AS TOP PRIORITY

By Asia Business editor GEOFF HISCOCK

THE Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Downer, leaves for Jakarta tomorrow
for the most important business on his working calendar this year: the
annual gathering of the Association of South East Asian Nations and their
dialogue partners.

The bilateral and multilateral meetings, involving the seven ASEAN members
and global powers such as China, Japan, the United States and Russia are
seen as a crucial test for Mr Downer, who aims to leave a low-key but
deliberate message that reinforces Australia's commitment to the region as
its first foreign policy priority.

Whereas 20 years ago the UNited Nations General Assembly may have been the
centrepiece of teh Australian foreign minister's schedule, now it is the
ASEAN post ministerial conference that has become the marketplace for
foreign policy business.

As one of several new faces among regional foreign ministers, Mr Downer is
expected to approach the talks in a way that avoids heavy criticism or the
lecturing style sometimes associated with Australia in the past.

While Mr Downer will voice his clear concern to the Burmese Foreign
Minister, Mr Ohn Gyaw, about the military regime's suppression of political
and human rights in their meeting on Monday, a more important encounter
could be his first meeting with Malaysia's new foreign Minister, Mr
Abdullah Badawi.

Australia has been told that if it wants to be part of teh next Asia-Europe
summit(ASEM), it must win over Malaysia. Other Asian nations have no
objection to Australia being part of ASEM, but have stressed that its
participation can only be achieved through consensus.

"If we can't convince Malaysia, we will not be admitted," an Australian
official said.

Th4 President of Indonesia, Mr Suharto, now back to his usual health, opens
proceedings today when he and his Foreign Minister, Ar Ali Alatas, formally
welcome the ASEAM foreign ministers for their annual meeting.

The ASEAN seven - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam - will formally grant observer status today to Burma
as a prelude to full ASEAN membership. Burma also will be admitted to the
ASEAN Regional Forum, to be held on Tuesday.

The 19-member forum brings together ASEAN and the United States, China,
Japan, South Korea, Laos, Cambodia, Canada, Australia, New Zeland, Papua
New Guines and the European Union. India will also join the ARF with Burma,
lifting membership to 21.

Despite a plea this week from Burmese opposition leader Ms Aung San Suu Kyi
and a barrage of criticism, mainly from European groups, aobut the human
rights abuses of the military regime in Burma, the ASEAN members believe
their constructive engagement is the best way to win over the State Law and
Order Restoration Council in Burma, rather than diplomatic and economic
isolation.

Human rights groups and Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
disagree, claiming constructive engagement has been a failure, with no
improvement in the way the military rule the country.

Burma shows some of the falutlines between Asia and the West. Australia,
which advocates a policy designed to measure Burma's progress on human
rights and democratisation, falls awkwardly between the ASEAN position and
Burma's harsher ciritics in the West.

Mr Downer will put his concerns clearly to Burma on MOnday, but what he
most wants to see emerge is some practical policy approach. Any
contribution he can make to such an outcome will stand him in good stead in
the region.

/* Weekend Australian July 20-21 */