A joint statement issued by foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Vientiane, Laos, on Tuesday said Myanmar had decided to renounce its scheduled rotating ASEAN chairmanship in 2006. 

The statement said that Myanmar Foreign Minister U Nyan Win informed other ASEAN counterparts attending the grouping's 38th Ministerial Meeting that Myanmar had made such decision.

The foreign minister said Myanmar decided to relinquish its turn to be the chair of ASEAN in 2006 because it would want to focus its attention on the ongoing national reconciliation and democratization process, adding that once Myanmar is ready to take its turn, it can do so.

The statement also expressed ASEAN's complete understanding over Myanmar's decision, appreciating the Myanmar government for not allowing its national preoccupation to affect the grouping's solidarity and cohesiveness and appraising its commitment to the well-being of ASEAN and its goal of advancing the interests of all member countries.

Some observers here pointed out that assuming rotating chairmanship of ASEAN is originally the rights and obligations of the member countries, but said that there exists pressure from the West on ASEAN over the Myanmar issue.

Myanmar was officially admitted into the regional grouping in 1997, signifying a major victory then of the country in bringing about a breakthrough in the diplomatic blockage by the West.

At that time, despite strong opposition by some Western countries, led by the US, to the admission of Myanmar as a full member, ASEAN withstood the pressure and was able to realize the grouping's plan of integrating all ten members into the ASEAN, noted observers.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Judging from another angle, some analysts said it also indicated Myanmar has abandoned its "closed-door policy" that had been adopted for decades, aggressively adapting itself to the grouping's integration process and obtaining development space.

When it came Myanmar's turn to head ASEAN, the US and other Western countries continued to block the country, on the grounds that Myanmar's human rights situation "was not improved" with its democratization process "standing still." 

Reports said the US and other Western countries even threatened if Myanmar took the ASEAN chair, they would boycott the ASEAN-hosted meetings between the grouping and its dialogue partners and would even affect the relations between the West and ASEAN.

Analysts said Myanmar made the decision under the consideration of not only its domestic situation but also the possible negative impact on the relations between the ASEAN as a whole and the West.

The analysts said the US always adopts unilateralism and hegemonism in the international affairs, frequently interfering in the internal affairs of others in the region. Ever since the Myanmar military government came to power in 1988, the US has always put pressure on the country politically and economically. Up to now, the US still maintains economic sanctions against Myanmar.

Putting pressure and imposing sanctions and isolations cannot settle any of international conflicts and Myanmar's affairs should be decided by its government and people, political analysts said.

Some observers even doubt whether the real objective of the US' sanctions will bring democracy to Myanmar, pointing out that it can be reasonably believed that the US' involvement in affairs of Myanmar and the region is out of its strategic need.

It is believed that Myanmar will ignore foreign sanctions and go on its own road. The Myanmar military government announced a seven-point roadmap to democracy last August as guidelines toward the goal of national reconciliation and democracy. The roadmap mainly includes reconvening the constitutional national convention that had been suspended for eight years, holding referendum over the draft of the constitution, and holding general election to form a new government.

It is also generally believed that the Myanmar military government's continuous pushing ahead of its roadmap plan, announced by itself, not only conforms to the overall interests of the country but also contributes to the tranquility and development of Myanmar as well as the peace and stability of the region. 

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2005)