Burma in spotlight at Asian securit

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Subject: Burma in spotlight at Asian security talks.


Sunday July 27 6:25 AM EDT

Burma in spotlight at Asian security talks
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(By Bill Tarrant)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Reuter) - Twenty-one foreign ministers from Asian
and Western nations on Sunday debated Asian security issues, including
human rights in Burma and diplomatic efforts to settle Cambodia's latest
conflict.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told a news briefing midway
through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) conference that Burma was
extensively discussed.

``The mood of the ARF...is that we have been disappointed with the pace of
reform in Burma over the last 12 months,'' he said.

``We look forward to the sort of commitment that we're constantly given
about constitutional reform in Burma actually being fulfilled...,'' he
said.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said that now the choice had
been made to admit Burma into ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian
Nations, action had to be taken to ensure political reform.

``...We must insist that we work together to promote conditions within
Burma that will lead towards true democracy and permit its genuine
integration into this region,'' she said in a statement to the forum.

The conference, being held in a resort hotel at a water theme park called
Sunway Lagoon, was delayed for half an hour as the ministers sorted out
their seating arrangements.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen wanted his chair shifted away from the
door. A couch that was supposed to accommodate Brunei Foreign Minister
Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and his sister, Hajah Masna, was lugged out of the
hall and replaced with a chair when the princess failed to appear. Canadian
Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy was 20 minutes late.

Burma and Laos were seated on either side of the conference chairman,
Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi.

The two were admitted last week as the newest members of ASEAN, which also
groups Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.

Western countries, led by the United States and the European Union, had
lobbied hard against admitting Burma because of its human rights record and
crackdown on a pro-democracy movement led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi.

Albright urged ASEAN to support Suu Kyi, U.S. State Department spokesman
Nicholas Burns said.

Albright made her comments in talks on Saturday with Malaysian Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Foreign Minister Abdullah, Burns said.

``She said she hoped ASEAN leaders when they visited would visit Aung San
Suu Kyi and pay attention to her and give her the support she deserves
because she's an elected leader,'' Burns said.

Abdullah, whose country is hosting the forum, replied that there is
``general agreement that ASEAN should play a role in Burma,'' Burns said.
He gave no more details.

The ministers were also discussing an unfolding diplomatic initiative t
settle the conflict in Cambodia, which plunged into turmoil after Cambodian
strongman Hun Sen threw out co-Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Broad agreement has emerged over several principles, including maintenance
of Cambodia's monarchy, constitution and parliament, and holding elections
next May, diplomats said.

But Hun Sen has yet to agree to allow Ranariddh and his followers to return
home safely to elect a new premier, a key proposal in initiatives for a
settlement.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Ung Huot, in an opening statement to ARF, said
Cambodia ``warmly welcomed the role of ASEAN to restore political stability
in Cambodia.''

The United States and China also endorsed ASEAN's mediation effort in the
morning session.

Downer said a ``strong consensus'' had emerged in the discussions that
ASEAN should take the lead in Cambodian diplomacy.

``What is particularly interesting is the emergence of a consensus which
includes in that consensus, countries such as China and the U.S.,'' Downer
said.

ASEAN has nominated three foreign ministers from the group to lead the
mediation effort, once they are really sure Hun Sen would welcome it.

The talks also addressed next week's Korean peace talks in New York.

Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov, in an opening statement to the
ARF meeting, said the most pressing problem in the region is tension on the
Korean peninsula and called for the two Koreas to resume a dialogue.

The four-party talks between North and South Korea, the United States and
China will attempt to find a permanent peace settlement to replace an
armistice that has been in place since the end of the 1950-53 Korean war.

Primakov also called for ``renunciation of military exercises directed
against neighbouring states'' and limiting the scale of these exercises.

(Reuter, 27 July 1997)
	

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