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ASEAN FMs Avoid Controversy in Setting 2011 Summit Agenda

   Daniel Schearf | Bangkok  April 11, 2011

Photo: Reuters

   Foreign ministers of Japan and Association of Southeast Asian Nations
   (ASEAN) member nations hold a news conference after a special
   ASEAN-Japan ministerial meeting, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 9, 2011.

   Southeast Asian nations will not discuss maritime border disputes when
   they meet later this year with their key dialogue partners, unless
   there are further clashes in disputed territory. Burma's government
   also told regional foreign ministers that it is open to dialogue with
   opposition parties.
   Foreign ministers of the [1]Association of Southeast Asian Nations
   Monday said they will address political and security issues when they
   meet later this year with partners in the East Asia Summit.
   But Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says one of the most
   contentious issues raised last year, the South China Sea, is off the
   agenda.
   China lays claim to most of the sea, including areas that Taiwan and
   ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam also
   claim.
   China and Vietnam have fought over tiny islands in the disputed
   territory and Beijing's navy has been increasingly assertive in the
   area, believed to be rich in oil and near critical sea lanes.
   At the close of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting Monday, Natalegawa
   said some maritime issues will be discussed at the summit, but South
   China Sea dispute will stay off the table unless there were renewed
   clashes.
   "Whether that maritime issues include South China Sea depends on where
   we are when the leaders meet," he said. "Hopefully, things are very
   quiet and very stable and therefore there is no need to bring the issue
   to the East Asia Summit."
   The East Asia Summit brings together the 10 ASEAN nations, plus
   Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

   At ASEAN meetings last year, United States Secretary of State Hillary
   Clinton said the peaceful resolution of the South China Sea disputes is
   also in Washington's interest, sparking a harsh response from China.
   Russia and the United States attended the summit as observers last year
   but this year will be full participants.

   Some ASEAN nations are want to make sure their agenda dominates the
   East Asia Summit, and that it not be pushed aside by the concerns of
   ASEAN's powerful dialogue partners.
   Natalegawa says ASEAN foreign ministers agreed Monday one way to do
   that would be to only discuss issues which they had a common position
   on or that were current events and could not be ignored.
   They also discussed Burma's development of democracy after a nominally
   civilian government in March replaced the military one.
   He says Burma's foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, told the meeting it
   was leaving the door open to communicate with 'all elements' in the
   country, including democracy leader [2]Aung San Suu Kyi.
   "I had spoken on a number of occasions, not as ASEAN chair but as
   Indonesia, with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on a number of occasions," said
   Natalegawa. "I know she is looking forward to having these
   communications with the new government in [Burma]. So, we would like to
   see if the new government is also of that view, then this communication
   ought to be taking place in real and not just in intentions."
   Natalegawa also said the ASEAN ministers also discussed a deadly border
   dispute in February between Cambodia and Thailand when their militaries
   exchanged artillery and machine gun fire, killing several people on
   both sides.
   Indonesia, as ASEAN chair, brokered an agreement to send observers to
   the disputed area to monitor an informal ceasefire.
   But Natalegawa said Monday the deployment of observers has been delayed
   by disagreement over which areas they should be allowed to monitor.

References

   1. http://www.aseansec.org/
   2. http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/03/31/merkel-calls-burmas-aung-san-suu-kyi-after-new-govt-sworn-in/