Thailand seeks Asean delay on Burma

[ausgeo@xxxxxxx]

May 29  1997

Thailand seeks Asean delay on Burma 

WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok and Agencies 
Cracks opened in Burma's bid to join Asean yesterday with Thailand's surprise 
announcement that it wants a delay in the granting of membership.

Foreign Ministry officials said Thailand feared the group's reputation might 
decline internationally if Burma became a full member in the near future.

Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasan will seek a delay at this weekend's 
Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting in Kuala 
Lumpur. He will suggest that if Burma were to declare it was not yet ready for 
membership, the move could be put on hold.

This would pave the way for a two-stage timetable - Cambodia and Laos would be 
allowed in first and Burma later. All three had been expected to gain 
membership together.

However, Indonesia and Malaysia are likely to lobby hard for Asean to resist 
"Western meddling" and admit Burma by July.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas, said human rights was not an issue.

"Even though we monitor developments in Burma and other countries, the 
internal situation in a country is not a criteria for Asean membership," he 
said.

Malaysia's acting Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, said Burma would join by 
December at the latest.

"There is no delay. The process may just take some time."

Their comments came as Burmese riot police maintained their cordon around the 
Rangoon homes of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders to stop 
them from holding a congress of their political party.

In a massive sweep across Burma, the military Government has arrested at least 
316 members of her National League for Democracy to prevent them from 
travelling to Rangoon to attend the congress, scheduled for Tuesday and 
yesterday.

Barbed wire fences have been erected around the opposition leader's home.

South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd.