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US, Burma Ready to Start Talks

By WAI MOE Monday, November 2, 2009
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Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, will arrive in Burma on Tuesday, accompanied by Scot Marciel, the US special envoy to Southeast Asia, for two days of talks—the highest level of US-Burma contact in a decade.
 
The US delegation will meet with senior government officials, opposition leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, and ethnic group leaders, according to the US State Department.

The four-person US delegation includes Laura Scheible, the State Department’s Burma officer.

The delegation will meet with leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD)  at the party’s headquarters in Rangoon on Thursday, according NLD spokesperson Khin Maung Swe.

“Since Mr. Campbell has chosen our office for the meeting, all NLD leaders will join the talks with the US delegation,” he said. “We welcome the US direct engagement with the junta because the policy is with the condition that the sanctions remain.”

US officials are expected to meet with Suu Kyi at her lakeside compound, where she is under house arrest.

“It was important that we were able to get a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi and some of the other opposition leaders,” said Robert Wood, a US spokesman.

The delegation’s visit comes just a few days before US President Barack Obama attends the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Singapore on Nov. 15.

Campbell told a US congressional committee on Oct. 21 that the delegation is on “a fact-finding mission.”

The Burma issue is expected to be a significant part of the US agenda during the US-Asean summit, along with other issues in the region such as the US-Asean free trade agreement, terrorism and the North Korean nuclear issue.

“I think it is good that the US is re-engaging, and it might introduce a positive dynamic for reform, but the US needs to proceed carefully and not just engage without eliciting meaningful change the Burmese people can believe in,” said Jeff Kingston, the director of Asian Studies at Temple University’s Japan campus.

The 2010 Burmese election will be a key factor influencing the pace and depth of the US engagement and the legitimacy of any new Burmese government, he said.

“The US will probably resist the fig-leaf scenario whereby the international community accepts the elections even if there are gross violations and lifts sanctions without any signs of progress,” he said.

US officials selected the opposition and ethnic group leaders that it will meet with on Thursday. Ethnic leaders who will meet the delegation include Arakanese leader Aye Thar Aung, Chin leader Cin Siang Thang and Mon leader Naing Ngwe Thein.

“Ethnic leaders might raise the issue of reviewing the undemocratic 2008 Constitution during the meeting with Campbell,” said Htaung Co Thang, a Chin leader with the United Nationalities League for Democracy.

“Without resolving problems such as neglecting ethnic minority rights in the Constitution, the elections in 2010 could not bring any solution for ethnic people and armed groups,” he said.

The Obama administration must be cautious in dealing with the military government, said Htuang Co Thang, to ensure that any actions it takes will actually lead to democracy and human rights for the Burmese people.

There have been numerous preliminary contacts between Burmese and US officials during the past several months, demonstrating a willingness on both sides to hold talks.

During the Asean Regional Forum in July in Phuket, Thailand, a US delegation led by Scot Marciel met with Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win and his delegation.

In August, junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe met with the pro-engagement US Sen Jim Webb. On Sept. 29 in New York City, US officials, led by Campbell, met with a Burmese delegation led by U Thaung, the minister of science and technology, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Observers say that the junta is trying to use the US to balance Chinese influence in Burma, especially in light of the regime’s ongoing conflicts with ethnic armed groups on the Sino-Burmese border.

“The junta wants to deny any foreign influences over them. Snr-Gen Than Shwe wants to show that the most important factor in Burma is neither Beijing nor Washington, but himself,” said Chan Tun, a veteran politician in Rangoon. “However, the junta will still need Chinese help to advocate for them before the international community.”

The junta’s relationship with North Korea is a major US concern. Campbell said on Oct. 21 that the US plans to discuss nuclear proliferation and Burma’s close ties with Pyongyang.

“Burma has said it is committed to comply fully with UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874,” he said. “Nevertheless, we remain concerned about the nature and extent of Burma’s ties with North Korea.”



COMMENTS (7)
 
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plan B Wrote:
03/11/2009
Plote Byone

There is absolutely no excuse for the west "not to understand SPDC" with the sophisticated intelligence orgs and brilliant analysts, yet it decides to treat Myanmar as no better than a Banana Republic, as it has done for so many years.

As for SPDC Res Ipsa Loquitor.
The US, which is the leader the West follows by example, is now leading the change.

What are the objectives?

Only time will tell. If the policy is wrong, it will lead to future cycles of suffering.

As for SPDC objective, we all know that this is to "HOLD ON TO POWER AT ALL COSTS."

Somewhere along the line the US realized that there is no more advantage in continuing the present policy and have admitted the policy was wrong, diplomatically of course.

This is a good time as ever for the US policy to be based on the will of the people and show SPDC the real future of its policies instead of the recent posturing to rid Burma of SPDC, a policy creating xenophobia and paranoia.

Plote Byone Wrote:
03/11/2009
There are serious misunderstandings between the junta and the US. While the junta thinks the US wants its puppet government to rule Burma and support and guide the NLD as its puppet, the US thinks the junta is only looking for its own interest and bullying its own people.

Both sides are seriously wrong in their thought. It should make clear that both are in good faith for the benefit of the Myanmar people.

The US should not regard the NLD as the party unanimously liked by the whole people. There are several people and ethnic groups who do not like the NLD's stance over Burma.

Oo Maung Gyi Wrote:
03/11/2009
The US and Burmese Junta engagement is good, but the US must be careful with the junta's diplomacy and tricks.

Regarding the constitution approved in a referendum conducted in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis,it is undemocratic, one-sided and favors military control of the country for unlimited years. It does not provide any promise of democracy for the peoples of Burma or progress for the country under the rule of law.

The right of the Burmese people are totally denied and violated; therefore, the UN Security Council should cancel this constitution which does not meet in accordance with the stadard and in line with UN Charter.

Aung Aung Wrote:
03/11/2009
“The junta wants to deny any foreign influences over them. Snr-Gen Than Shwe wants to show that the most important factor in Burma is neither Beijing nor Washington, but himself,” the article mentioned.

On the contrary, the opinion is out of step now. The truth is: Than Shwe’s role is going down to the lowest point.

The idea might be valid until 2004. It started slipping to the bottom due to the Saffron Revolution.

His committed crime to 55 million Burmese people including Monks and Minorities is impossible to declare untrue.

And, US-Burma rapid direct dialogue showed that both Than Shwe and China are sidelined already.

George Than Setkyar Heine Wrote:
03/11/2009
Campbell should insist on meeting Daw Suu privately instead of at a government guest house all wired up with ears in the walls.

Meeting at NLD HQ also should be limited to core members with security clearances only.

Opposition alliances should stress on principles rather than perepherals (hanging onto guns, establishing fiefdoms etc) matters when they meet with US officials. Remember, they want facts to work on.

Most importantly, ethnic leaders should press for reviewing the undemocratic 2008 Constitution during the meeting with Campbell.

And Campbell should not take this opportunity with a view only to push the NLD and others into swallowing Than Shwe's bitter pill(the constitution) and wash his hands of Burma's dilemma via his 2010 elections.

Without reviewing the constitution, helping to hold the 2010 elections on the part of the US would only amount to legitimizing Than Shwe's otherwise illegal rule, not to mention crashing Daw Suu, NLD and ethnic groups' dream of a Federal Union of Burma.

timothy Wrote:
03/11/2009
Ethnic leaders must tell the US delegation that abolishing the 2008 military constitution and establishing the 1947 Panglong Agreement are the cornerstones of their concern.

Until such facts are met by the ruling Junta, ethnic brothers in Burma will never enjoy the peace in their land.

What is the reason to remain in the false Union?

plan B Wrote:
02/11/2009
Engagement 101
1) The closer the objectives of opposing parties the better the chances for success.
We know well the SPDC objective: "holding on to power".
The West can easily forge their objective based on "lessening the suffering of the most vulnerable" as the objective, while assuring the SPDC of not denying them theirs.
2) Reward and punishment is so passé,
for obvious reasons unless you are absolutely bent on the latter.
3) Common ground.
This can become the ultimate objective even when (1) is the initial attempt.
a) Vilifying must stop.
b) Actions that will incite vilification should cease or reflect tremendous restraint.
4) Always trust but verify.
a) Absolutely no empty threats or threats that do not serve the objectives.
b) Do not take short term advantages that will prove long term harm.
5) Keep refining objectives until clear to everyone including your adversary.
a) Always choose people over ideas.
b) Always choose people over power.





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