Recommendation today from foreign ministers as reward, reinforcement for political reform; development to benefit Delhi.
Myanmar, the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that India shares a land border with, is poised to come out of years of isolation, with the 10-nation regional bloc likely to allow it to chair the organisation in 2014.
On the third day of meetings leading up to the Asean and East Asia Summits, foreign ministers of Asean states met here and broadly agreed to support Myanmar’s bid to lead the region’s most important multilateral body in two years.
“The sentiment was positive. All of us, without exception, recognise and welcome the positive developments that have been taking place in Myanmar over the past few months,” said Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa, who chaired the meeting, referring to the series of political reforms there. These include Myanmar holding the first elections in the country since 1990, although the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party easily came to power, and the release of scores of political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the figurehead of political opposition since forming the National League for Democracy in 1988, under house arrest for almost 15 years.
“We all wish to see this momentum being maintained, and the sense is that Myanmar is creating positive conditions that make it more possible for them to chair Asean in 2014. Some countries were quite explicit in expressing strong support for Myanmar (becoming Asean chair) in 2014,” he added.
Myanmar had been slated to chair Asean in 2006, in line with the policy of rotating chairships in alphabetical order, but it backed out after facing pressure from both within and outside the grouping. The European Union and America had then warned that Asean meetings might be boycotted if Myanmar was allowed to gain chairmanship, a move that would have damaged the regional bloc’s status.
Natalegawa emphasised that Myanmar’s recent reformist moves must be encouraged, and giving it the chairmanship could be a “potential pull-factor” for spurring further progress. “We want them to maintain that momentum. The idea of Myanmar chairing Asean in 2014, for many, represents part of that momentum building,” he said.
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The foreign ministers will formally meet tomorrow at the Asean Coordinating Council and officially make a recommendation to their heads of state, who will take the final call on the issue during the Asean Summit later this week. However, dangling the carrot of chairmanship before Myanmar may not go down well with some of Asean’s dialogue partners, including the EU and US, both of which continue to impose sanctions against the country.
However, Asean is seemingly confident of being able to persuade the critics to some extent. “We will manage it the best we can. Of course, we have partners but I have spoken with many parties in Myanmar itself. Aung San Suu Kyi, when I spoke to her, said she can understand Myanmar’s wish to chair Asean, as it is a member,” said Natalegawa, who had visited the country earlier this year to assess the situation.
For India, the re-emergence of Myanmar on the international arena and out of the shadow of China can only be a good thing. Despite Western sanctions, New Delhi has steadfastly maintained strong relations with the country’s military-dominated administration. Myanmar President Thein Sien visited India on an official visit last month, just over six months since taking office after last year’s elections.
He agreed to boost trade, while expanding cooperation in the energy sector. Indian energy majors ONGC, GAIL and Essar already have a presence in Myanmar’s oil and gas projects, and bilateral trade has grown steadily to reach $1.2 billion last year, up from $425 million during 2004-2005, according to the ministry of external affairs.