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| Southeast Asia |
| Malaysian F.M.: SecState Rice Should Attend Asean Regional Forum |
| 2005-07-13 |
| KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is of the view that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should attend the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Myanmar end of this month to show her commitment to the region. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Rice's excuse for not attending the ARF to focus on peace efforts in West Asia was not good enough... Syed Hamid said over the past two decades and without factoring in the situation then, Rice had not failed to attend the ARF and Asean's Post Ministerial Conference (PMC). He said Rice's decision was not a good move as it did not show that the US still viewed Asean as an important region from the economic, political and security aspects. Asked whether Rice's move was the US act of snubbing at Asean, Syed Hamid said: "You cannot help such perception to be considered because it has never happened before". On the US' wish that Asean pressures Myanmar to restore democracy in the country, he said Asean still held to the principle of non-interference in member nations' domestic affairs... "Myanmar's position in Asean must be determined by Asean members and not by other nations". |
| Posted by:Pappy |
#2 Malaysia is of the view that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should attend the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) inUS Sect'y of State Rice is of the view that Malayia should MTOB and STFU. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-07-13 15:06 |
| #1 Article: "Myanmar's position in Asean must be determined by Asean members and not by other nations". And Uncle Sam's position on Burma must be determined by Uncle Sam and not by ASEAN. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-07-13 00:40 |