August 31, 2004—An international campaign group yesterday encouraged the EU to maintain its demand that Burma be excluded from the Asia-Europe meeting, or ASEM, due to be held in Hanoi in October.

In June, the EU said it might cancel the ASEM summit if Burma is allowed to participate. The EU has demanded that Burma’s government release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. 

In light of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Burma, we, exiled Burmese democracy activists, would like to express our appreciation to the European Union for its consistent call to exclude Burma’s military regime from the upcoming ASEM summit, scheduled on Oct 8-9 in Hanoi. — International Campaign for Democracy in Burma

The US-based International Campaign for Democracy in Burma, or ICDB, sent a letter to the foreign ministers of EU member countries. 

“In light of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Burma, we, exiled Burmese democracy activists, would like to express our appreciation to the European Union for its consistent call to exclude Burma’s military regime from the upcoming ASEM summit, scheduled on Oct 8-9 in Hanoi,” ICDB said in its letter.

In addition, the ICDB urged the EU to persuade the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, not to support Rangoon’s military regime. The regional organization insists that Burma, along with other new members—Cambodia and Laos—should take part in the summit in return for the EU’s 10 new members being admitted.

The EU’s stance “will help Asean’s countries to realize the failure of their constructive engagement policy in dealing with the Burmese military regime,” the campaign group said.

In June, the EU scrapped talks with Asian finance and economics ministers after the regional group demanded that Burma be included in the planned October summit of Asian and European heads of state in Vietnam.

Last week, host Vietnam’s former prime minister Vo Van Kiet visited Rangoon and met military leaders, including Burmese Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt. The discussions included the forthcoming summit.