Burma gets nod to chair Asean in 2014

NUSA DUA, Indonesia—Southeast Asian leaders agreed on Thursday to allow the military-backed government of Burma (Myanmar) to chair their bloc in 2014, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.

“The leaders of Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) … have formally expressed the view and reached their consensus that designates Myanmar as chair of Asean in 2014,” he said at an Asean summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

The decision to give the nominally civilian government the diplomatic prize comes after a series of tentative reformist steps this year, but in the face of warnings from the United States that the move would be premature.

“All leaders are in agreement that significant changes, significant developments, have taken place in Myanmar and those changes have made it more conducive for Myanmar to carry out this responsibility,” Natalegawa said.

But he added: “There is inherent in this sentiment to closely monitor the developments in Myanmar because Asean wants to ensure that in 2014 Myanmar will be more than where they are now, towards more democratization.”

Along with the Asean chairmanship, the decision means Burma will host the East Asia Summit in 2014, which brings Asean members together with the United States, China and Russia, among others. AFP