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Myanmar Vows to Keep to Democracy 'Road Map'
ASEAN-SUMMIT - 11/22/2004 08:19 - AFP
by Martin Abbugao = (PICTURE + GRAPHIC) = ATTENTION - RECASTS
with FM press conference ///
VIENTIANE, Nov 26 (AFP) - Myanmar vowed Friday to
keep to its promised "road map" to democracy as Southeast Asian
officials here cautiously welcomed the military regime's planned
release of thousands of prisoners as a sign of progress. Myanmar
Foreign Minister Nyan Win told a briefing with the world's media
here for a Southeast Asian leaders' summit that last month's
dismissal of premier Khin Nyunt would not affect the regime's reform
plans. The former premier had outlined the "road map" in August 2003
in response to international condemnation of the detention of
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the lack of democratic reforms
in the isolated regime. It had been feared that his dismissal and
replacement by military hardliner Soe Win would disrupt the plan,
which is supposed to end with multi-party elections but has been
dismissed as a sham by the United States and Europe. But Nyan Win
stressed the leadership change would not affect the country's
foreign and domestic policy. "The answer is clear, there will be no
changes," he said. "Our objectives and priorities will remain the
same as before." "Individuals may come and go, but national policies
will remain the same. The changes in the cabinet are but normal and
mean that the torch has been passed on to a new generation," he
said. "We will continue to work ceaselessly to ensure the success of
the seven-step road map," he said. Noting that Khin Nyunt had been
credited with the reform plan, he said the commitment to move
towards democracy was a "collective decision" by the ruling junta.
Concern about the slow pace of reform in Myanmar was expected to be
a key topic for leaders at the 10-nation Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) summit starting Monday although there was little prospect of
public censure because of the body's policy of non-interference in
the affairs of member nations. ASEAN leaders will be joined at the
summit by Australia, China, India, South Korea, Japan and New
Zealand. Myanmar's Prime Minister Soe Win arrives in Laos Saturday
and is expected to brief his fellow leaders on developments,
including the junta's decision to release 9,000 prisoners, among
them political detainees. Senior Southeast Asian officials preparing
for the summit cautiously welcomed Friday the announcement of the
releases as a step towards dialogue in Myanmar. "This is a
potentially positive development," Indonesian foreign ministry
spokesman Marty Natalegawa said. "It promotes the atmosphere for
dialogue and cooperation but we will only know the full significance
of this after." Another Southeast Asian diplomat said: "We see that
they are moving." Nyan Win said he could not say if Aung San Suu Kyi,
who was detained last May for a third stint under house arrest, was
among those to be released. The foreign minister took pains to
highlight the "achievements" of the junta and denounce as
"politically motivated" allegations of massive human rights
violations and the recruitment of child soldiers in his country. He
said Kyin Nyunt, who was seen by the outside world as a moderate in
the ruling clique of fellow generals, had been dismissed for
involvement in a "massive bribery and corruption scandal" and
because he had "turned a blind eye" to the alleged illegal
activities of his children. The military has ruled Myanmar since
1962 despite Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
winning a landslide election in 1990. mba/br/th |
