Portugal Proves Sticking Point In Asean-Eu Ties
Portuguese concerns over East Timor have stalled progress on a declaration on boosting economic and political ties between the European Union andAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), a European official said yesterday.
The Portuguese will not agree to any declaration that could bind them to extending relations with Indonesia or Asean while perceived human rights problems in East Timor remain, said an official. Portugal had refused to agree on the wording of a draft declaration to be approved by ministers of the Asean and the EU today and tomorrow..
East Timor joins Burma as one of the issues threatening progress at this meeting. European politicians face pressures back home over the crackdown on Burma's pro-democracy movement in Rangoon. Officials were seeking ways to discuss such issues without bringing the meetings to a halt. But Portuguese officials were refusing to agree to declare our wish to explore the possibility of future actions to deepen relations between the EU and Asean the wording in the joint declaration draft the official said.
The main sticking point was on the strength of obligation the declaration would put on Portugal, as an EU member, to trade and deal with Indonesia when bilateral relations were strained, the EU official said.
Several alternative wordings were being explored that might satisfy both sides on East Timor, which Indonesia invaded more than 20 years ago when Lisbon gave up control, he added.
Officials said the Portuguese objection was the main problem in finalising the declaration, but other differences remained.
They said sections of the document seeking to deepen political dialogue through frank discussion on sensitive issues were a related difficulty, as were any specific references to United Nations work on human rights.
Asean foreign ministers insist such issues not be raised in meetings with their 15 EU counterparts and Indonesia threatened to walk out if East Timor was brought up there or on Saturday, when the 22 ministers will be joined by colleagues from Japan, China and South Korea to plan a second Asia-Europe summit.
At the back of everyone's mind actually at the front are human rights, labour rights and Burma, said one EU official in Brussels.
Burma is an issue because Asean Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam has promised membership to Rangoon along with Laos and Cambodia. The question is only when this will happen.
A report released earlier on Wednesday by Amnesty International said political repression and human rights
violations in Burma last year reached their highest levels since the violent state suppression of a popular uprising at the end of the 1980s.
Amnesty urged Asean ministers attending this week's meeting to redouble pressure on Burmese authorities to improve their human rights record.
The European Parliament has repeatedly warned the European Commission the group's executive that it will not tolerate dealings with Rangoon.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said yesterday it was up to ASEAN to decide its relationship with Burma.
Rifkind, in Singapore for meetings between ministers from Asean and the EU, said Europe had already made clear its views on the government in Rangoon.
Asked if Britain supported Amnesty's call for an end to the policy, Rifkind told a joint news conference with Singapore foreign minister Shanmugam Jayakumar: It is a matter for Asean to decide what relationship it wishes to have with Burma.
We have sought to impress upon the government in Rangoon the need to initiate democratic reforms and to open up their society, he told reporters.
Rifkind said it was important for Asean and European countries to focus on areas of agreement rather than differences at this week's meetings.
I believe that the links between Europe and south-east Asia at this particular moment are very, very strong and I believe there is a common interest to concentrate on the very wide areas where we can have economic and social progress.
At the first Asia-Europe summit in Bangkok last year, East Timor was also a key stumbling block, but the issue was dealt with in a private meeting between Portuguese and Indonesian leaders.
Asean officials said they hoped the Burma and East Timor issues could be defused as easily this year in Singapore.
We will not allow one or two difficult issues to distract our attention from the positive agenda, said one. My hope is that we can take stock of what we have achieved up to now and also review the potential of greater things to come.