ASEAN's chosen path with Myanmar has produced disappointing results, Malaysia says
- From: "Chim" <ChimS1@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 29 Sep 2005 04:26:37 -0700
ASEAN's chosen path with Myanmar has produced disappointing results,
Malaysia says
By EN-LAI YEOH, AP
SINGAPORE (AP) - Malaysia's deputy prime minister acknowledged Thursday
that ASEAN's chosen path of engaging Myanmar's repressive military
junta has yet to produce the desired results - but added there would be
no change of course.
"The policy of constructive engagement has shown some dividends but not
as much as we had hoped," said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak,
adding that the West's hardline approach had fared even worse.
"I think we have to continue to pursue this and hopefully things get
better.... We're still trying," he said.
Najib was speaking to a gathering of around 200 politicians, government
officials, academics and businessmen at a forum on ASEAN's future in
Singapore.
Hundreds of dissidents remain incarcerated in Myanmar, also known as
Burma. Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest.
Earlier, Singapore' prime minister said the regional trade bloc was
"decades" away from becoming fully integrated like the European Union.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said late Wednesday that the trade bloc
"must make greater efforts at integration" or risk falling behind,
especially with booming growth in India and China.
"If we delay or do nothing, we will fall off the radar screen of
international companies and investors," said Lee while opening the
three-day conference. "Should ASEAN fail to rise to the challenge, we
would become marginalized and irrelevant. This would be a grave
injustice to our people."
ASEAN is aiming for a free trade pact by 2010, and a unified economic
community 10 years later. Critics have said self-interest and
protective barriers could derail such goals.
ASEAN groups Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Brunei with a combined
population of over 500 million.
09/29/05 02:53 EDT
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. The information contained in the
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