MALAYSIA WARNED MYANMAR'S JUNTA ON THURSDAY THAT THE CREDIBILITY OF ITS "ROADMAP TO DEMOCRACY" WOULD BE AT RISK IF IT BANNED THE OPPOSITION PARTY OF DEMOCRACY ICON AUNG SAN SUU KYI. MYANMAR'S MILITARY RULERS HAVE THREATENED TO BAN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (NLD), ACCUSING IT OF LINKS TO "EXPATRIATE GROUPS, TERRORISTS AND DESTRUCTIVE GROUPS" THAT THEY BLAME FOR ATTACKS ON THE FORMER BURMA, REUTERS REPORTED. "ANY ACTION THEY TAKE, LIKE CLOSING DOWN NLD, OR NOT RELEASING AUNG SAN SUU KYI, THESE ARE ALL IMPEDIMENTS AND OBSTACLES TO CREATING VISIBLE SIGNS OF CREDIBILITY IN TERMS OF THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS DEMOCRACY," MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SYED HAMID ALBAR TOLD REPORTERS. "EVEN THOUGH WE DO NOT WANT TO INTERFERE IN THEIR AFFAIRS, THEY ARE NOT HELPING US IN CREATING THE NECESSARY CONFIDENCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY," SAID SYED HAMID, WHO VISITED MYANMAR IN MARCH AS AN ENVOY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN). THE NLD WON ELECTIONS IN 1990 BUT WAS DENIED POWER BY THE JUNTA, AND NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE AUNG SAN SUU KYI HAS SPENT ABOUT 10 OF THE PAST 15 YEARS IN SOME FORM OF DETENTION. ASEAN, A 10-NATION GROUP KNOWN FOR ITS EMPHASIS ON CONSENSUS, HAS SHOWN RARE DISPLEASURE IN RECENT YEARS WITH FOOT-DRAGGING ON REFORMS BY MYANMAR, WHICH HAS BEEN RULED BY THE MILITARY IN VARIOUS GUISES FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. AT A MEETING IN BALI LAST MONTH, ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS MADE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN TO MYANMAR ABOUT ITS LACK OF PROGRESS TOWARDS DEMOCRACY. SYED HAMID REITERATED THAT ASEAN WOULD LIKE TO SEE MYANMAR MAKING VISIBLE CHANGES ALTHOUGH IT WOULD NOT RESORT TO PRESSURE. "WE WILL KEEP ON PROMPTING THEM TO LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF ASEAN AT LEAST," HE ADDED. MYANMAR HAS PROPOSED A SEVEN-STEP "ROADMAP TO DEMOCRACY" AND THE JUNTA SAYS STEP ONE, DRAFTING A NEW CONSTITUTION, IS UNDER WAY. BUT ITS ASEAN NEIGHBOURS THINK THE PROCESS HAS BEEN TOO SLOW AND SENT SYED HAMID TO MEET THE COUNTRY'S RULERS IN MARCH. BUT THE MALAYSIAN MINISTER SAID HIS FACT-FINDING MISSION WAS INCOMPLETE BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO MEET SUU KYI. PHILIPPINE FOREIGN SECRETARY ALBERTO ROMULO SAID LAST WEEK HE EXPECTED TO VISIT MYANMAR NEXT MONTH FOR TALKS WITH ITS LEADERS AND HOPED TO MEET SUU KYI. MANILA TAKES OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF ASEAN FROM MALAYSIA IN JULY.
