THE Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, yesterday defused a row developing between the EU and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) over the admission of Burma last week.
Stung by European criticism that they were legitimising a brutal military regime, some ASEAN diplomats had begun to cast doubt on future EU participation in ASEAN's annual Regional Forum which Mr Spring is attending in Jakarta as representative of the EU.
But the Tanaiste eased matters by welcoming the Burmese observer status, while maintaining an implied criticism of Burma's human rights record, suggesting its membership of the forum implied a new willingness to subscribe to the forum's democratic principles.
Yesterday, Mr Spring met Burma's Foreign Minister, Ohn Gyaw, and expressed the EU's strong concern over human rights in his country and demanded an explanation for the death in custody recently of the businessman and honorary consul to the Nordic countries, Mr Leo Nichols.
Mr Nichols died of an apparent stroke while a prisoner at Rangoon's notorious Insein Jail for illegal possession of fax equipment.
Ohn Gyaw, who presented Mr Spring with a written report on the incident, later told journalists Mr Nichols's death could be attributed to the "richness of food" he ate while in jail, which was "not compatible with his health". He was known to suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Mr Spring also called for the release of all political prisoners, specifically naming two leading members of the National League for Democracy, Awe Win and Win Htein, and for meaningful talks with its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
It was the first contact at ministerial level between the EU and Burma since 1994, and Mr Spring said later he hoped that the beginning of the dialogue would contribute to the restoration of democracy. The EU's troika would probably meet the Burmese again at the UN General Assembly in New York in September, a spokesman said.
Ohn Gyaw told reporters he was ready to "listen to" comments from other countries this week, but he gave no indication he would do more than that. He suggested that calls in the West for sanctions against Burma lacked substance.
Mr Spring was last night continuing bilateral contacts with other delegations ahead of today's formal session of the forum which he is due to address. On Thursday he flies to Australia for a one day official visit.
The ASEAN Regional Forum, set up in 1993, includes ASEAN and Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, the EU, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Korea and the US. The ASEAN members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
