Dear editor,
Asia indeed welcomes the return of the U.S. So kudos for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's commitment to stepping up the American role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ― a welcome move compared to the ``I have better things to do'' approach of the last U.S. administration.
When Clinton said during her participation in the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences and security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum last week in Phuket that ``the U.S. is back …'' I hoped she should would have followed that with ``… and here to stay.''
American engagement in the region's development and security architecture is almost universally welcomed by all ASEAN members, even Washington's adversaries.
Clinton conveyed the American message to Myanmar straight at the bull's eye, as clear as you can get. This maybe is the kind of pressure needed, but to be realistic, instead of calling for the expulsion of Myanmar from the grouping, a push for a respectable member from that country on the soon-to-be-set up human rights body could go a long way.
Natapanu Nopakun
Fulbright ASEAN visiting scholar
SAIS, Johns Hopkins University
nnopakun@hotmail.com