We Can't Dance Alone: US to Burma

By LALIT K. JHA, WASHINGTON, Mizzima News, Jan 22, 2010.

A top US official said engagement with Burma can't be a one-way process and indicated the US is not getting an adequate response from the Burmese military junta.

Showing signs of frustration, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told senators at a Congressional briefing on Thursday: “We are attempting to take that first step...but I do want to underscore that one can't dance on the dance floor alone.”

In his testimony, Campbell said the US is in the first phase of a strategy to begin direct discussions with Burmese officials.

“It's too early to give a report card on that effort, but we recognize that this is a critical period, 2010, with the intention of the government to hold elections at some point later this year,” he said. “There is also a desire, when it comes to global or regional issues of democratization and human rights, to raise these matters, not just in a bilateral setting but to raise them in regional fora,” he said.

“So, for instance, Secretary Clinton raised issues of concern, particularly in Burma but not just in Burma in a regional context, and to our satisfaction we have seen a number of other countries like Indonesia [and] the Philippines increasingly talk about values and shared interests in a way that we think is very reinforcing. Of course, those general tenets and beliefs are the foundation of our strong and deep partnerships with countries like Japan and South Korea, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and others,” he said.

“The truth is, unlike some countries, at best Burma is ambivalent about the United States,” Campbell said. “I think there are some very substantial concerns about how its leadership views the people, the quality of life of the people, issues associated with ethnic minorities, the treatment of legitimate politically elected groups, and on top of that attitudes towards the United States and concerns about proliferation.”

Campbell also said the administration’s formal review of US policy towards Burma reaffirmed its fundamental goals: a democratic government that respects the rights of its people and is at peace with its neighbors.

“A policy of pragmatic engagement with the Burmese authorities holds the best hope for advancing our goals. Under this approach, US sanctions will remain in place until Burmese authorities demonstrate that they are prepared to make meaningful progress on US core concerns,” he said. “The leaders of Burma’s democratic opposition have confirmed to us their support for this approach. The policy review also confirmed that we need additional tools to augment those that we have been using in pursuit of our objectives.

“A central element of this approach is a direct, senior-level dialogue with representatives of the Burmese leadership. I visited Burma Nov. 3 and 4 for meetings with Burmese officials, including Prime Minister Thein Sein, leaders of the democracy movement, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and representatives of the largest ethnic minorities. In my meetings, I stressed the importance of all stakeholders engaging in a dialogue on reform and emphasized that the release of political prisoners is essential if the elections planned for 2010 are to have any credibility,” Campbell said.