AP-Myanmar Clash Nixes EU-Asia Summ

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Subject: AP-Myanmar Clash Nixes EU-Asia Summit

Sunday March 14, 12:09 pm Eastern Time
Myanmar Clash Nixes EU-Asia Summit
By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press Writer
MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- A meeting between the European Union and
Southeast Asian nations this month has been canceled over a dispute about
Myanmar, a Philippine official said Sunday.

European nations have said they do not want Myanmar, also known as Burma, to
attend the meeting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations because
of the military government's poor human rights record.

Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan was negotiating with the EU in hopes of
reaching a compromise that would allow the foreign ministers' meeting to
proceed as planned in Berlin, Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon
said.

Asked if the meeting will be held, Siazon said, ``As of today, no, but still
talks are going on about the format.''

``What is being requested is to discriminate against an ASEAN member, which
is unthinkable,'' Siazon said after meeting with Myanmar Foreign Minister
Win Aung, who began a three-day visit to Manila Sunday.

Myanmar's slow progress in human rights has been an embarrassment for ASEAN,
which admitted the country in 1997. Myanmar's membership has tarnished the
reputation of the nine-member group and interfered in ASEAN's relations with
other regions.

Win Aung told reporters Sunday that ASEAN members should remain tightly
united.

``If ASEAN is united, nobody could come and then make a wedge between us.
That is very important, we should stick together come what may,'' he said.

Philippine officials said they plan to ``express disappointment'' to Win
Aung about human rights conditions in Myanmar.

ASEAN also includes Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.