THE LARGER PICTURE

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Thai/U.S. Youth Crash 2004 Philip Morris ASEAN Art Awards Events

This morning's Tuoi Tre newspaper (HCMC's most popular daily), has scarcely anything to say about the current developments in this years ASEAN meeting in Malaysia. The issue in ASEAN (and the UN Security Council) is Myanmar. It's front page news on CNN Asia, BBC, The Bangkok Post, The New York Times, and countless other international free presses.

In today's Tuoi Tre paper, there is a two sentence mention of the ASEAN conference followed by a "continued on page 16" (which is the last page of today's paper). The article itself only mentions PM Phan van Khai urging for the rhetorical "economic cooperation". There is no mention of the issues that ASEAN is currently embroiled in. ASEAN has a long standing policy on non-interference in the political issues of its members. However this year, that practice has apparently come to an end. ASEAN will be sending a delegation into Mynamar to inspect issues concerning human rights, political prisoners including the current condition of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who with her party won a landslide election which was ignored by the military junta. ASEAN was originally slated to be hosted by Myanmar this year but postponed hosting after it was met with resistance both internationally and within ASEAN. Vietnam has been perhaps the closest ally, if any within ASEAN, of the ruling military junta in Mynanmar. During last years ASEM conference held in Hanoi, European members threatened to boycott the meetings on account of Myanmar. Vietnam, being the host, persuaded Mynamar to make concessions and promises toward the development of a civil society (yes, it does sound strange). The ASEM meetings were held intact. Shortly after returning to Myanmar, the generals made significant changes to their command, sacking the number two General and placing him under arrest. An embarrassed and humiliated Vietnam was left with a pie in its face.

So this year, ASEAN comes at a moment where Mynamar has suddendly relocated its capital from Yangon (Rangoon) to Pyimana, located approximately half way between Yangon and Mandalay as well as extending the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi for another six months. This prompted certain members of the UN Security Council to bring the issue up for discussion. ASEAN would be seen as irrelevant if it took its normal course of washing over Myamnar. It has even been reported in some channels that Malaysia and the Philippines have called for the expulsion of Myanmar from ASEAN. Perhaps the most disappointing report about ASEAN in the Vietnam Press is that we will be sending one our Miss Vietnam models to ASEAN. No, I'm not joking. You can read it here: Cuộc thi Hoa hậu ASEAN 2005. Perhaps this is a strategy to improve the problem of Vietnamese beauty contestants limited world knowledge, as reported in the same news paper a few short months ago.

These issue of ASEAN and Myanmar are cover stories throughout the Asian and International press (with exception to Vietnam and Myanmar itself). Where was Vietnam during these deliberations? On an indefinite bathroom break? It would be interesting to see on record how Vietnam voted here. It has always been one to go for consensus. How would Vietnam vote on the issue of forcing Myanmar to move toward civil society, acknowledge the popular elections and ratify a constitution? Did Vietnam vote positively or simply abstain? It is sad to see the anemic and spineless state of the press here in Vietnam. Particularly after having returned from Myanmar last week and saw the newspapers there. There are too many sad similarities that can be legitimately said to exist between the two countries. Which is perhaps why both are on the silent side of this years ASEAN meeting.

Also read my previous post on this blog about the ASEAN fracture (Diacritic, April 2005)

ASEAN 2005 (According to the World)
Bangkok Post. ASEAN delegation to visit Burma on democracy
BBC News. Asian group raps Burma on rights
CNN. ASEAN Summit targets Myanmar
BBC, Bangkok. Burma begins move to new capital 
IHT. Myanmar: A job for the Security Council 
US-ASEAN. Myanmar Report
Yahoo. Myanmar downplays UN Security Council decision on briefing
Taipei Times. ASEAN delivers rebuke to Myanmar

ASEAN 2005 (According to Vietnam)
Tuoi Tre. Nhất trí xây dựng hiến chương ASEAN
Thanh Nien. Vietnam PM pledges support for strong ASEAN economic ties
VietnamNet. Prime Minister arrives in Malaysia for ASEAN summits