By Shannon Tiezzi
As this year’s ASEAN Chair, Myanmar will face pressure from the pro- and anti-China camps.
As Myanmar gears up to host this weekend’s ASEAN Regional Forum, it may find that its role is both a blessing and a curse. While Myanmar welcomes its chance in the spotlight as ASEAN Chair, that role is increasingly difficult to play. Maritime disputes in the South China Sea threaten to turn each ASEAN meeting into a tug of war between anti- and pro-China forces.
When it was announced in 2011 that Myanmar would serve as ASEAN Chair in 2014, it was seen as a major step forward for the country. Being chair means that Myanmar would preside over and host the major ASEAN meetings, from the ASEAN leader’s summit (held in May 2014) to this weekend’s ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which will include ASEAN members as well as other regional actors such as Australia, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the U.S. The position of ASEAN Chair (and host of the major ASEAN meetings) rotates each year among the ASEAN member states, but Myanmar had previously been excluded from taking its turn due to its strained ties with its neighbors.
In 2011, however, Myanmar was in the midst of democratic reforms that completely changed the foreign policy landscape for the previously-isolated nation. Giving Myanmar’s the 2014 chairmanship was clearly intended as both a reward for its progress and an impetus for continued reforms. When the announcement was made, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters that Myanmar’s reforms “have made it more conducive” for the country to assume the role of chair. He added, “We are trying to ensure that the process of change continues, the momentum is maintained.” ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh took a similar tone, saying that “Myanmar’s chairmanship comes amidst the country’s on-going democratization and reform process which has been enjoying strong support from ASEAN Member States and the international community at large.”
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