No plan for Obama to Meet with Burmese PM: US

By LALIT K JHA

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

NEW YORK — US President Barack Obama has no plan to hold a bilateral meeting with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein when the two leaders attend the United States-Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Summit on Sunday in Singapore.

A senior administration official told The Irrawaddy the Obama and the Burmese prime minister might greet each other when officials of the 10-member regional body gather.

US officials said it would be too early for Obama to meet with the prime minister. A four-member US delegation met with Thein Sein in the Burmese capital this month, as part of the new US direct engagement policy toward Burma.

“There will be great interest in the new directions we're taking in our ‘Burma’ policy there,” Jeffrey Bader, the National Security Council senior director for East Asian Affairs told reporters in a briefing on the trip.

“One of the frustrations that we've had with policy towards Burma over recent years has been that the inability to have interaction with Burma has prevented certain kinds of interaction with Asean as a whole,” he said in response to a question.

“The statement we are trying to make here is that we're not going to let the Burmese tail wag the Asean dog here. We're going to meet with all 10 [members], and we're not going to punish the other nine simply because Burma is in the room.”

Other major topics on the US agenda include Indonesia.

“The meeting with President Yudhoyono will highlight the new comprehensive partnership we're building in Indonesia,” Bader said.

The Obama administration in September announced a new Burma policy which includes direct engagement and economic sanctions.

Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, conducted a first round of US-Burma talks in September in New York. A second round was held in Burma in November, which the US termed exploratory.

COMMENTS (2)

timothy Wrote:

10/11/2009

Burmese Junta is not qualified to meet the US President according to international norms and US standards. President Obama will lecture the Asean leaders about respect for human rights in Asean and the Burma issue will be the leading topic out of this meeting. Asean leaders are waiting for a US directive to take Burma action and they will definitely get the chance to hear from the President. The Burmese regime needs to understand the international norms and civilization, as it is 21st century now. People need CHANGE.

Oo Maung Gyi Wrote:

10/11/2009

It is too early for President Obama to meet Burmese Prime Minister General Thein Sein at the US -Asean summit.

Many things has to develop within Burma as well as US has to consider the progress of engagement towards democracy and junta's attitute to opposition NLD and ethnic groups.

Snr-Gen Than Shwe himself has to do many things within his inner circle for the changes and moves.

As for 2010 election process, he also has to consider how to handle it and when to fix the date. If the election is held without transperency, and is not free and fair, the international community will not accept it.

At the same time, China is also watching Burma as to how she will take steps in this juncture.