Myanmar still keeps Europe wary of Asia

The Netherlands, the host, denied a visa for Myanmar Minister U Soe Tha to attend the meeting. It apparently did so without consulting other EU members, some of whom have expressed dissatisfaction with how the Dutch handled the matter. ASEAN ministers responded by refusing to attend. The Dutch, as a last ditch attempt to salvage the meeting, then proposed that the meeting proceed at the Senior Officials level, which ASEAN agreed to.

The important point here is that the episode was not just about Myanmar. It was far bigger than that. It was a clarion call that bilateral problems should not be brought into a multilateral context. It was about ASEAN 's credibility and solidarity and an example of how ASEAN can be expected to respond when one of its members is discriminated against in international forums.

It is pertinent to recall here that when Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar joined ASEM as recently as in 2004, together with the new EU members, they did so as full and equal members without any conditions attached. At subsequent ASEM Ministerial Meetings held in Asia, Myanmar was appropriately represented at the ministerial level - bilateral qualms did not override multilateral obligations and interests.

That Rotterdam incident was singularly unfortunate. Nevertheless, countries in the region have no baggage with the EU and would welcome its presence and contribution to regional and global security and well being. It is of course up to the EU to decide its foreign policy directions and whether the narrow concerns of the presiding country ought to propel or impede the initiatives of the grouping as a whole.

The Rotterdam episode was perhaps an opportunity lost for enhanced EU participation in the emerging theatre.  However, if it proves to be a catalyst, it will bring dividends to both ASEAN and the EU, who would be winners in many ways.