ID :
71164
Mon, 07/20/2009 - 15:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/71164
The shortlink copeid
GLITCHES THREATHEN TO DELAY US SIGNING OF TAC
By D. Arul Rajoo
PHUKET, July 20 (Bernama) -- Wrangling over the United States' insistence on
inserting several points that have legal implications on Asean member countries
is threathening to delay the super power's move to sign the Treaty of Amity and
Cooperation (TAC) at the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) here.
According to Asean diplomats, the US, the only major Pacific power not to
have acceded to the treaty, wanted to add several points on top of the standard
documents used by other signatories in the past.
"We are not sure, at this moment, if Asean and the US will sign the TAC
although it's part of the agenda.
"Before, we had used standard agreements with other countries, but now, the
US wants their own way which is not acceptable to us," a diplomat told reporters
here.
He said, some of the 10 Asean member countries were not comfortable with the
points raised by the US as it had legal implications, and they needed to refer
to their respective governments and parliaments for approval.
"Officials from both sides are negotiating to break the impasse. We hope to
strike a balance before the signing ceremony on Tuesday," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to sign the TAC here.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), which provides US Congress
members
with policy and legal analysis, had said that a major concern with accession was
whether the TAC's emphasis on non-interference in other countries' domestic
affairs would constrain US freedom of action, especially related to its
sanctions on Myanmar.
The US, criticised in the past for neglecting the region, is hoping to sign
the
TAC to strengthen its standing in the region with over 560 million population
and check China's growing influence here.
Despite the glitches, host Thailand is confident that the US would sign the
TAC
in Phuket as scheduled.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Vimon Kidchob said some discussions were
ongoing between the two parties and that they had entered the final stage.
"They plan to sign here and we are working towards that," she said.
A US embassy official also said the TAC signing was on track and minor
glitches would not hamper the move.
In February, Clinton had announced that the Obama administration would
launch its formal interagency process to pursue accession to TAC and this
process could be concluded within the year.
The TAC was first negotiated in 1976 and subsequently, amended to allow
non-regional countries to accede, and the US is the only major Pacific power
not to have acceded to the treaty.
Besides the 10 Asean members, 15 other countries outside the regional
grouping have acceded to the treaty which aims to promote peace, stability and
co-operation in Southeast Asia, and contains provisions of non-interference in
the internal affairs of one another.
-- BERNAMA
PHUKET, July 20 (Bernama) -- Wrangling over the United States' insistence on
inserting several points that have legal implications on Asean member countries
is threathening to delay the super power's move to sign the Treaty of Amity and
Cooperation (TAC) at the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) here.
According to Asean diplomats, the US, the only major Pacific power not to
have acceded to the treaty, wanted to add several points on top of the standard
documents used by other signatories in the past.
"We are not sure, at this moment, if Asean and the US will sign the TAC
although it's part of the agenda.
"Before, we had used standard agreements with other countries, but now, the
US wants their own way which is not acceptable to us," a diplomat told reporters
here.
He said, some of the 10 Asean member countries were not comfortable with the
points raised by the US as it had legal implications, and they needed to refer
to their respective governments and parliaments for approval.
"Officials from both sides are negotiating to break the impasse. We hope to
strike a balance before the signing ceremony on Tuesday," he said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to sign the TAC here.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), which provides US Congress
members
with policy and legal analysis, had said that a major concern with accession was
whether the TAC's emphasis on non-interference in other countries' domestic
affairs would constrain US freedom of action, especially related to its
sanctions on Myanmar.
The US, criticised in the past for neglecting the region, is hoping to sign
the
TAC to strengthen its standing in the region with over 560 million population
and check China's growing influence here.
Despite the glitches, host Thailand is confident that the US would sign the
TAC
in Phuket as scheduled.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Vimon Kidchob said some discussions were
ongoing between the two parties and that they had entered the final stage.
"They plan to sign here and we are working towards that," she said.
A US embassy official also said the TAC signing was on track and minor
glitches would not hamper the move.
In February, Clinton had announced that the Obama administration would
launch its formal interagency process to pursue accession to TAC and this
process could be concluded within the year.
The TAC was first negotiated in 1976 and subsequently, amended to allow
non-regional countries to accede, and the US is the only major Pacific power
not to have acceded to the treaty.
Besides the 10 Asean members, 15 other countries outside the regional
grouping have acceded to the treaty which aims to promote peace, stability and
co-operation in Southeast Asia, and contains provisions of non-interference in
the internal affairs of one another.
-- BERNAMA
