Associated Press

Vientiane, July 24:

Military-ruled Myanmar today hinted that it will forgo a regional chairmanship to spare neighbours from rebukes by the West over the junta’s poor democracy record, as Asia-Pacific nations opened their top annual security conference. Australia also was set to embrace a regional non-aggression pact, reversing longstanding opposition after Asian neighbours made the accord a prerequisite for attending a summit next December. A draft conference statement obtained by The Associated Press said Australia would sign a declaration of intent to join the treaty before the conference in the Laotian capital ends on Friday. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus more than a dozen other governments with interests in the region opened talks leading up to Friday’s ASEAN Regional Forum. “The recent bombings in London and Egypt are a reminder that this sort of thing can take place at any time and any place,” Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said.

“We do not want to have our friends in a very difficult position,” Myanmar Foreign Ministry official Thaung Tun told reporters today, suggesting Myanmar would step aside though declining to confirm that. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They are joined this week in Vientiane by Australia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Korea and the United States.