US Envoy Highlights Burma Issues at the Asean Summit

By WAI MOE

CHA-AM, Thailand — The United States continued to highlight Burma in informal conversations with delegates at the 14th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the US Special Envoy to Asean, Scot Marciel, told The Irrawaddy on Saturday.

“My main focus is to talk about our relations with Asean as a whole. But of course, in conversations, we continue to highlight our hope that Asean members will encourage progress in Burma,” he said.

“Generally speaking, most of them [Asean members] would like to see Burma move in a more positive direction.”

Among the 10 Asean countries, Indonesia is often considered the role model for the Burmese military junta to emulate in a transition to democracy. When the new US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Indonesia on February 18-19, the Indonesian foreign minister, Hassan Wirajuda, said that his country is willing to use its experience to help Burma change.

This offer came despite his public criticism of Burma on February 6 for its abuse of the Rohingyas, after nearly 400 Rohingya refugees were rescued off the coast of Sumatra in January.

“I think Burma has a lot to learn from Indonesia and other countries in the region,” Marciel said.

About the Burmese elections scheduled for 2010, the US envoy said that Burma can only progress if the regime engages in dialogue with the opposition and makes its political process inclusive. However, Marciel said, next year’s election in Burma is “not being based on this kind of broad generous dialogue.”

According to an interview with Asean Affairs magazine prior to the US election last year, Marciel expressed hope that that the US’s “intensive engagement” with Southeast Asia would continue and said that there had been strong bipartisan support for that involvement.

Mrs Clinton’s decision to visit East Asia as her first official mission sent a message that the new US administration was prioritizing Asian relations in its foreign policy. The Secretary of State later said that she would review US-Burma policy, saying neither sanctions nor engagement is working for change in Burma.

“She announced a review of our policy on Burma and we are [working toward making] our policy more effective. We have not yet made any decision,” said Marciel.

In July 2008, the US signed into law the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE (Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts) Act 2008. The act has three aims: to impose new financial sanctions and travel restrictions on the leaders of the junta and their associates; to tighten the economic sanctions imposed in 2003 by outlawing the importation of Burmese gems to the US; and to create a new position of “US Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma.”

Marciel said that the US is still following the JADE act. However, he emphasized that the US “wants Burma to be a strong, prosperous, free country.”

The US Asean envoy added that working together with Burma’s neighbors to bring about change in Burma is part of the US-Burma policy.