WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush likely will cancel a summit he was planning with Southeast Asian leaders, following Myanmar's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests, ASEAN diplomats said here Sunday.
American officials indicated at a US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) senior officials dialogue in San Francisco about a week ago that "it would be difficult for President Bush to host the summit" which would have been held at his Texas ranch, an ASEAN diplomat told AFP.
"Considering what happened in Myanmar, we understand that it might also be politically sensitive to hold such a summit on US soil, especially during an electoral year," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bush made the summit proposal on September 7 when he met several ASEAN leaders at the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Sydney.
About three weeks later, Myanmar's military rulers launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks which, according to a UN report, leaving at least 31 people dead and 74 missing, and drawing global outrage.
Bush has already ordered two round of sanctions and threatened further US-led global measures against the ruling junta if it continued to ignore calls for a democratic transition.
The US leader usually reserves invitations to his sprawling Texas ranch for important allies but made the surprise invitation to the ASEAN leaders, including an official from Myanmar, in a bid to underline US commitment, which has been persistently questioned in the region.
White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe had said at the time that all ASEAN heads of state had been invited, except Myanmar, whose "level of participation is to be determined."
If the Texas summit -- which would have been held in early 2008 -- is canceled, it would be the second time Bush will scrap talks with leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In May, he had agreed to attend a summit highlighting 30 years of official ties between Washington and Southeast Asia in Singapore on his way to the Sydney APEC talks but cancelled at the last minute due to the Iraqi crisis.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had also canceled participation at two ASEAN annual meetings, in 2005 and 2007, drawing criticism from the region which felt its stature had diminished in Washington's eyes.
Some ASEAN diplomats said if the Texas summit was off, Southeast Asian leaders might still try to host a meeting with Bush, adding that Washington was open to such a possibility.
"The fact that US still wants to consider having it in the ASEAN region shows they still understand the importance of engaging with ASEAN," one diplomat said.
Since Singapore holds the current ASEAN chair, it is a logical host for such talks, the official said, eyeing a "window of opportunity" when Bush attends the Beijing Olympics, to be held from August 8 to 24.
"But the crux of the issue -- Myanmar -- remains and it will continue to be messy, especially if Washington insists Myanmar should stay out of the talks and ASEAN surely feeling uncomfortable with that," the official said.
Bush has over the last couple of years met annually with leaders of seven ASEAN states -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- which are also members of the APEC forum -- at the sidelines of the forum's annual talks.
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are not APEC members.
American officials indicated at a US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) senior officials dialogue in San Francisco about a week ago that "it would be difficult for President Bush to host the summit" which would have been held at his Texas ranch, an ASEAN diplomat told AFP.
"Considering what happened in Myanmar, we understand that it might also be politically sensitive to hold such a summit on US soil, especially during an electoral year," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bush made the summit proposal on September 7 when he met several ASEAN leaders at the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Sydney.
About three weeks later, Myanmar's military rulers launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks which, according to a UN report, leaving at least 31 people dead and 74 missing, and drawing global outrage.
Bush has already ordered two round of sanctions and threatened further US-led global measures against the ruling junta if it continued to ignore calls for a democratic transition.
The US leader usually reserves invitations to his sprawling Texas ranch for important allies but made the surprise invitation to the ASEAN leaders, including an official from Myanmar, in a bid to underline US commitment, which has been persistently questioned in the region.
White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe had said at the time that all ASEAN heads of state had been invited, except Myanmar, whose "level of participation is to be determined."
If the Texas summit -- which would have been held in early 2008 -- is canceled, it would be the second time Bush will scrap talks with leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In May, he had agreed to attend a summit highlighting 30 years of official ties between Washington and Southeast Asia in Singapore on his way to the Sydney APEC talks but cancelled at the last minute due to the Iraqi crisis.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had also canceled participation at two ASEAN annual meetings, in 2005 and 2007, drawing criticism from the region which felt its stature had diminished in Washington's eyes.
Some ASEAN diplomats said if the Texas summit was off, Southeast Asian leaders might still try to host a meeting with Bush, adding that Washington was open to such a possibility.
"The fact that US still wants to consider having it in the ASEAN region shows they still understand the importance of engaging with ASEAN," one diplomat said.
Since Singapore holds the current ASEAN chair, it is a logical host for such talks, the official said, eyeing a "window of opportunity" when Bush attends the Beijing Olympics, to be held from August 8 to 24.
"But the crux of the issue -- Myanmar -- remains and it will continue to be messy, especially if Washington insists Myanmar should stay out of the talks and ASEAN surely feeling uncomfortable with that," the official said.
Bush has over the last couple of years met annually with leaders of seven ASEAN states -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- which are also members of the APEC forum -- at the sidelines of the forum's annual talks.
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are not APEC members.
2 comments:
"ANANIKUM AMERICA RULES!"U.S.A!#1
Yes, he should. Why should he goes along with those people that cann't think clearly. There is a huge different between acepting a monster like Myannma and demolish everything else that he stands for. By all mean he should not go. It just wrong and he deosn't have to. Let those suckers wondering around on their own for while and see how far they can go.
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