“Is the participation of the Burmese Regime at the ASEM Summit still valid?”

According to the Common Regulation (EC) No.667/2005 of 28 April 2005, the Commission of the European Communities renews its common position of the restrictive measures in respect of Burma/Myanmar for one year. These measures include banning all high-ranking Burmese Regime officials from traveling to Europe. However, the European Union is trying to find a way to allow participation of Burmese ministers and military officials to attend ASEM Summit and other meetings to be held in Europe.

ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) was initiated by Singapore and France proposals in November 1994 to consider how to build a new partnership between two regions and to hold an EU-Asia Summit meeting. The first ASEM Summit was held in Bangkok in March 1996 with fifteen EU member states, the European Commission and ten Asian countries. The Heads of State and Government Summits hold every two years (London in April 1998, Seoul in October 2000, Copenhagen in September 2002, Hanoi in October 2004) and the next ASEM Summit is to be held in Helsinki on 10-11 September 2006. At the working level, a range of several ministerial and other meetings take place.

It was the ASEM 5, held in Hanoi on 8-9 October 2004 that was decided to enlarge ASEM to the ten new EU member states as well as three new ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries (Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar).

According to the paragraph (4.7) of the Chairman’s Statement under section (4) Recent Regional Development, it was quoted as

“The leaders took note of the briefing on the recent political developments in Myanmar given by the Head of the Myanmar delegation. In this connection, they encouraged all stakeholders in the country to work together to ensure a successful outcome of the ongoing national reconciliation process. The National Convention should be an important element in the national reconciliation and democratization process and a forum for a genuine open debate with the participation of all political groups in the country. They looked forward to the early lifting of restrictions placed on political parties in accordance with the assurances given by Myanmar. They also reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General”

This statement clearly shows the expectation that the acceptance of the participation of Burmese Regime at the ASEM Summit was based on the following factors.
National Convention and participation of all political groups
Early lifting of the restrictions placed on political parties
Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General.

By taking account to these factors, I would like to mention a series of events that have happened in Burma since October 2004 -ASEM 5 Summit.

National Convention and participation of all political parties

The National Convention reconvened at Pyidaungsu Hall of Nyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby Township, Rangoon Division on Feb 17, 2005. Most of the delegates, except for about 100 from ceasefire groups were handpicked. Of all the political parties, only seven parties attended, mainly the ceasefire groups.

The journalists were not permitted to gather news freely and satisfactorily, while several journalists who write the truth about Burma were denied visas by the military junta. (Feb 18, 2005-DVB)

The convention was then adjourned on March 31, 2005. On April 9, 2005, one of the delegates from ceasefire groups told the media that the groups’ delegates were warned by the military authorities not to present the proposals concerning the legislative and judiciary.
(April 9, 2005- DVB)

After nine months, it resumed again on December 5, 2005 and continued to exclude Burma’s democratic opposition and key ethnic minority groups. On January 31, 2006, the National Convention was adjourned yet again and the chairman of the convention said it would be resumed at the end of this year.

This reconvening-adjourning process clearly shows that the Burmese Military Rulers doesn’t have the desire to finish the National Convention, the first point of the seven-point Roadmap. If the first point took more than a decade, all seven points would have taken another seventy years.

In addition, the participation of all political groups was denied and the National Convention was held with the groups that were handpicked by the military officials.

Early Lifting of the restrictions placed on political parties

On 29 Nov 2004, the military junta extended the period of house arrest of the Burma democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, for one year. (AFP News)
On 25 Dec 2004, the National League for Democracy (NLD) announced the members under detention as:
Before Depayin (2003) - 103
Released - 24
New Arrests - 68

Total - 147

The NLD spokesperson also told the media that the real figures may be larger. (DVB News)
On 20 Jan 2005, the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) sent peace offer to Rangoon but it was rejected. (BBC News)
On 9 Feb 2005, the chairman and the general secretary of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) were detained.
(AP News)

At the same time, U Aye Tha Aung, a leader of Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) and a general secretary of Committee for Representatives of People Parliament (CRPP) was threatened by the military authorities. (Narinjar News)

On 20 Feb 2005, the Democratic Voice of Burma obtained a list of people that have been arrested related to the Shan State meeting and these include the members of various political organizations such as the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), Shan State Peace Council (SSPC), New Generation- Shan State, Democracy Party and so on.

In mid-March 2005, the Karen National Union (KNU) went to Moulmein for peace talks with Burma’s junta, but the military regime demanded to surrender rather than the political dialogue. (DVB News)

On 10 May 2005, members of the Shan State Army-North that has signed the ceasefire agreement were arrested by the soldiers of the military junta.
On 15 June 2005, members of a Burmese Labour Union (Labour Solidarity) were detained. (DVB News)

On 3 Aug 2005, a member of Shan State Advisory Council (SSAC) was arrested.
On 3 Nov 2005, the military junta sentenced heavy jail terms to the detained Shan leaders. (Shan-EU)
On 27 Nov 2005, the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi was extended to another six months.
On Jan 2006, the army of the military regime attacked the base camp of one of the ceasefire groups, Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and killed the KIO members.
Similarly, on 10 Feb 2006, the army attacked the Brigade of another ceasefire group, Shan State Army-North (SSA-N).

To conclude, all these above events that have happened in Burma between Oct 2004 and Feb 2006 clearly illustrated that the military regime has placed more restrictions on political parties and groups rather than early lifting.

Special envoy of the UN Secretary General

Razali Ismail, the UN Secretary General Kofi Anna’s special envoy stepped down from his job in January 2006 because the military regime had not let him visit Burma for 23 months.

In conclusion, as all the factors related to the acceptance of the participation of the Burmese Regime at the ASEM Summit were not assured and fulfilled as expected, its participation has become invalid and the EU should not allow the participation of Burmese ministers and officials to attend the ASEM Summit and other meetings to be held in Europe and the rest of the world.

Khin Ma Ma Myo

19/02/2006