Category: foreign affairs

Singapore Ambassador’s address to the UN Security Council on the Myanmar crisis

Remarks by Mr Vanu Gopala Menon, Singapore’s Ambassador to the UN at the UN Security Council Session on the Situation in Myanmar, 5 Oct 07

Thank you, Mr President, for giving me the floor as ASEAN Chair,

1 As a neighbour of Myanmar and a fellow ASEAN member, it is with a heavy heart that we speak today. Recent events in Myanmar cannot be overlooked or ignored, even by Myanmar’s friends and neighbours. This is why on 27 September 2007 we issued a statement as ASEAN Chair. All the ASEAN members were present, including nine of ten Foreign Ministers. The statement expressed revulsion over reports that the protests were being suppressed by violence. It called for restraint, national reconciliation, the release of political detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and for Myanmar to work towards a peaceful transition to democracy. In addition, the statement expressed support for the visit of UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari. It also referred to the serious impact on ASEAN’s credibility. It therefore cannot just be an internal matter of Myanmar.

2 On 29 September 2007, my Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, wrote to Senior General Than Shwe to convey his deep concern and to urge Myanmar to work with Mr Gambari to find a way forward. On 2 October 2007, my delegation in Geneva delivered a statement at the Fifth Special Session of the Human Rights Council on the draft resolution on Myanmar and to stress the importance of supporting Mr Gambari’s mission. On 3 October 2007, Prime Minister Lee met with Mr Gambari to assure him of ASEAN’s full support and to encourage him to press on with the UN’s efforts.

3 But we are here today to look forward not back. To move forward, there are certain realities that we have to acknowledge.

4 First, we need to recognize that the UN’s efforts, as embodied by Mr Gambari, are unique and irreplaceable. At this stage, Mr Gambari represents our best hope and is also the only game in town. Mr Gambari is an experienced and gifted diplomat who seems to have gained the trust of both sides. The international community should buttress his position and invest him with the requisite support, authority, and prestige. Mr Gambari should return to Myanmar and re-assume his good offices role as soon as possible to sustain the momentum. We urge the Myanmar Government to continue to cooperate with the UN and Mr Gambari.

5 Second, we should avoid falling into the trap of over-simplification. The situation in Myanmar is complicated. As the Secretary-General himself has noted, we should not prematurely try to pigeon-hole Mr Gambari’s visit as a “success” or “failure”. He has succeeded in beginning a process that can bring change to Myanmar. The fact that Myanmar has allowed Mr Gambari to visit three times, most recently in the midst of the present crisis, is encouraging. It shows that the Myanmar authorities want to maintain a line to the UN. There are also reports that the authorities have released some of those detained. Unfortunately, many others are still being detained and arrests reportedly continue. Yesterday, Senior General Than Shwe announced that he was willing to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But he imposed “pre-conditions” on this meeting, and most regrettably, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains in detention. Mr Gambari’s visit is the start of a long and arduous process.

6 Third, we have to be pragmatic. It would be a grievous mistake to think that if the SPDC left the scene tomorrow, all would suddenly be well and all problems would automatically be resolved. The military is a key institution in Myanmar that cannot be wished away. Any peaceful solution to the crisis will have to involve all parties, including the military. If the military is not part of the solution, there will be no solution. If the process is mishandled it could result in greater instability and more suffering for the Myanmar people. Thant Myint-U, a former UN Secretariat official and grandson of U Thant, warned recently that the world must be careful that the change it wants to see in Myanmar does not lead to the anarchy seen in Iraq. Myanmar is not a homogeneous state. There are many armed ethnic groups that are opposed to central government rule and only a very tenuous ceasefire prevents the renewal of hostilities. This should not be an excuse for delaying necessary steps forward. But neither do we want a Yugoslavia in Southeast Asia.

7 There has also been talk about additional sanctions. My delegation can understand the impulse to punish unacceptable behaviour. Indeed, we should not rule this out. But we have to pause to consider dispassionately what the real impact of additional sanctions will be. How will they affect a regime that is only tangentially connected to the rest of the world? Will they help or hinder the UN’s role? How will they affect the willingness of the SPDC to cooperate with Mr Gambari? What is their impact on the people of Myanmar? All such actions should have only one objective, which is to strengthen Mr Gambari’s hand as an effective mediator.

8 Fourth, ASEAN will take a responsible position. Myanmar is part of the ASEAN family. Whatever we may think about the behaviour of a family member, it is still a family member. But ASEAN’s influence is limited. This was underscored last year when the Myanmar authorities refused to seriously engage the ASEAN Envoy. Yet, the same authorities received Mr Gambari and arranged a substantial programme for him, which included meetings with Senior General Than Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. This was a clear signal of Myanmar’s preferences.

Mr President,

9 It is in everyone’s interest to keep Myanmar in the ASEAN family. But we are not Myanmar’s only neighbour. China and India are two large countries with a long history of engagement with Myanmar. We believe that they are uniquely placed to play a role. In this regard, allow me to commend China for its quiet efforts which we believe were instrumental in securing a substantive and useful visit for Mr Gambari. We hope that India will play a similar role. Likewise, Japan has a role to play because it is a major aid donor to Myanmar. All of us – the international community as a whole – must do our part. Because of the size and complexity of the undertaking, the good offices of the UN and Mr Gambari offer the only new way forward.

Thank you.

. . . . .

(UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz)

Myanmar junta leader’s family reportedly in Singapore

London’s The Times has reported that the family of Myanmar’s dictator, Senior General Than Shwe, has left Myanmar and is currently in Singapore.

Citing a report by the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), an established Myanmarese dissident radio station based in Norway, The Times reported that Than Shwe’s wife, daughter and son-in-law have arrived with other family members in Singapore. Than Shwe’s son-in-law, Teza, who is incidentally also Myanmar’s richest man because of his family connections, then flew off to Dubai and is staying at the seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, arguably the world’s most luxurious hotel. A DVB correspondent apparently was able to establish that Teza was indeed staying at the the Burj.

This adds to a growing list of Myanmar junta leaders who have made Singapore their “home away from home”. Than Shwe himself was recently in Singapore for medical treatment, and the current prime minister, General Soe Win, has been at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) receiving treatment for leukaemia since May.

Related reading:

PM Lee’s letter to Myanmar’s top general

Text of Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman, State Peace and Development Council, Union of Myanmar. Original MFA press release is here. Salient portions have been highlighted.

29 September 2007

Dear Excellency,

In Singapore’s capacity as the ASEAN Chair, I write to express the deep concerns that other ASEAN leaders and I share over the very grave situation in Myanmar.

I have discussed this matter with all the other ASEAN leaders. We are most disturbed by reports of the violent means that the authorities in Myanmar have deployed against the demonstrators, which have resulted in injuries and deaths. The videos and photographs of what is happening on the streets of Yangon and other cities in Myanmar have evoked the revulsion of people throughout Southeast Asia and all over the world.

We agree that the confrontation that is unfolding in Myanmar will have serious implications not just for Myanmar itself, but also for ASEAN and the whole region. Hence, our Foreign Ministers issued a firm statement in New York, strongly urging your government to exercise utmost restraint, and to work towards a political solution for national reconciliation and a peaceful transition to democracy. ASEAN also called for the release of all political detainees, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. I attach a copy of this statement.

The ASEAN Leaders fully support the mission by the Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ibrahim Gambari. He has gone to Myanmar to help all parties involved find a peaceful resolution. I would like to emphasise the importance which the ASEAN countries, and indeed the whole international community, attach to Mr Gambari’s mission. We strongly urge your government to grant Mr Gambari full access to all parties in Myanmar, as you have done in the past, and to work with Mr Gambari to try to find a way forward.

ASEAN’s concerns are for the welfare of the people of Myanmar, for a return to stability and normalcy, and for Myanmar to take its place among the comity of nations. I hope you will consider these views in that spirit.

Yours sincerely,
(Signed)
LEE HSIEN LOONG

Video clip of Japanese journalist being shot by Myanmar police

These are the shocking videos of the last moments of the Japanese journalist, Kenji Nagai, as he was shoved to the ground and shot at point blank by Myanmarese riot police on 27 Sep. Notice that immediately after Nagai-san is violently shoved onto the ground, at least four shots from an automatic rifle ring out. The doctor in the Japanese embassy in Myanmar confirmed that a bullet entered Nagai-san’s body from the lower right side of his chest, pierced his heart and exited from his back. This suggests that he was shot as he was down on the ground (refer to the picture I posted in yesterday).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXk5Ulppktk]

Singaporean intentionally shot by Myanmar police; Japanese journalist apparently shot point blank

This is an account of a Singaporean who was shot by riot police in Myanmar while on his way to work:

Below is an actual of what had happen yesterday on 27/9/07.

I am a Singaporean working in Myanmar for the past 11 years.
I was on my way to office (near Thuwana area) at around 4 to 4.30pm when the riot police block the road near “Super one, ILBC area”. I stop my car with my wife and walk out. suddenly riot police and soldiers drove the truck around the corner and start firing shots at the crowd. we quickly ran to the side and squat down near the wall.

The soldiers came down and start to shoot at us. I was shot twice but i did not know what hit me. My both leg were bruised. the soldiers and police kicked us and the rest of the crowds into the drain and shouted that they would kill us if we look at them.

We were forced to stay in the drain for 15 mins and gather by the into a group.
A commander came and gather his troops and drove off to Tamwe direction.
After that ,i looked at my injures and and found injures on my left and right legs.
My wife found the “40mm riot control munnition” empty cartridge that the soldiers shoot at me.

I would like the embassy and media to know the actions of this army.

We are just ordinary citizen going to work and they just shot at us for no reason.
Imagine what they would do to the protesters!

I would like the Singapore government would make a strong stand against this violence crack down on the monks and people.

attached is the photo of my injures .
I have been attended by a private doctor on my injures.
The doctor said i was very lucky that the shot missed the groin area.

You can see the photos of his injuries on ko-htike’s blog.

In separate news, revelations have surfaced that Kenji Nagai, the Japanese journalist who died yesterday, was apparently intentionally shot at point blank range. Here are the pictures from thisislondon.co.uk:





I wonder what is going through the minds of the soldiers. Don’t they have families and loved ones too? Perhaps some of their own relatives are out protesting on the streets too. Have they been so thoroughly indoctrinated by their commanders that they do not hesitate to spray automatic rifle fire into their on countrymen? Truly, evil knows no bounds.

Sep 27 Statement by ASEAN Chair, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers had a full and frank discussion on the situation in Myanmar at their Informal Meeting this morning in the UN and agreed for the Chair to issue this Statement. They were appalled to receive reports of automatic weapons being used and demanded that the Myanmar government immediately desist from the use of violence against demonstrators. They expressed their revulsion to Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win over reports that the demonstrations in Myanmar are being suppressed by violent force and that there has been a number of fatalities. They strongly urged Myanmar to exercise utmost restraint and seek a political solution. They called upon Myanmar to resume its efforts at national reconciliation with all parties concerned, and work towards a peaceful transition to democracy. The Ministers called for the release of all political detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers expressed their concern to Minister Nyan Win that the developments in Myanmar had a serious impact on the reputation and credibility of ASEAN. They noted that Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has spoken to his ASEAN counterparts over the past day, and will be writing to Senior General Than Shwe.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers gave their full support to the decision of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Myanmar. They welcomed FM Nyan Win’s assurance that a visa would be issued to Mr Gambari in Singapore. They asked the Myanmar government to cooperate fully and work with him. Mr Gambari’s role as a neutral interlocutor among all the parties can help defuse the dangerous situation. The Ministers urged the Myanmar government to grant him full access to all parties in Myanmar, as they had done in the past.


Statements, and more statements. To be fair, put into perspective, ASEAN’s latest statement is slightly more strongly worded than usual. It’s good that PM Lee is writing directly to Than Shwe, Myanmar’s top dictator. I hope it contains even stronger words than the above statement. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told reporters at the UN that “pressure from Asean is the strongest tool we have” to stop the violence. I hope ASEAN leaders understand the weight of responsibility that the grouping has to prevent further violence against civilians.

Singapore needs to demonstrate its leadership in this crisis, just like it did in the wake of the 2004 Asian Tsunami. Miss this boat, and we can be sure that the international community will write off both us and ASEAN as credible players in the world.

"It’s really bad in Yangon now…please can someone do something for our country"




These are some of the pictures posted by Myanmarese bloggers from the events that have taken place today.

Sources:
http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/
http://mr-jade.blogspot.com/
http://www.irrawaddy.org/protests/BurmaProtests.php

Here’s what ko-htike wrote:

To all folk, it is really bad in YGN, pLs can someone do something for our country, now inside YGN it has been look like War Zone, i even heard stooting over the phone. it is over 50 shots, right now. but people are not giving up to protest and more and more people coming out to street.

they even used tear gas into primary school.

Now, the government is trying to make a diversion. They give 10,000 kyats (around $7) & a set of Thin Gan(yellow robe) to “Swan Arr Shin”(like USDA which the form as a group that to crash down violently to protester) team and make them to pretend as Monks. Then, command to destroy the Islamic Mosque. This intends to become a fight between Buddhisms & Islams. So, if u hear or see the news that the monks are destroying the Mosque, these are not real monks. They are just fakes. As u all know, the real monks have no intention like that. So, give this information to Islams who u know and tell them

Today picture in Sule around noon before open fire(now regime open fire into these group, and used fireengine to sweep the blood on the street )

I heard that the Singapore government is on standby to evacuate Singaporeans from Yangon if it gets really ugly. The Singapore government knows a massacre is looming. But they are just talking and issuing statements.

Drastic action is needed NOW. Singapore and ASEAN have always boasted that their constructive engagement of Myanmar made it easier to dialogue with them. Now is the time to use that relational capital. Take out the big stick and tell the generals that they are out of ASEAN if they use any more deadly force of civilians. Singaporeans need to tell our government to stop hiding behind diplomatic statements! And Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, what are they all doing?

In an interview with the Straits Times, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo was asked what ASEAN would do if the junta becomes more repressive in the weeks to come. The minister said, “If…there is repression and violence where many people die…ASEAN can issue statements. ASEAN can shed tears. But at that point in time, it will be a fight within Myanmar itself.”

Bravo! Let’s just wash our hands clean of this and say, “What to do? Die, die lor!”.

ASEAN has proven itself to be one huge, big talkshop. No action, talk only.

Singapore-led ASEAN must take immediate, concrete action in Myanmar to prevent bloodshed

Today, I read the sad news in TODAY that carried an AFP report that at least five monks and one civilian were killed by Myanmar’s security forces. Witnesses said they saw one monk with a gunshot wound to the head.

Channel NewsAsia reported that two monks were beaten to death by riot police. A total of four people were reported killed when security forces used live ammunition on protesters.

The Irrawady has reported that on Sep 26, three monks were shot by military and riot police forces in Ahlone Township. Two monks and one nun were reportedly shot by military forces near Sule Pagoda. Another source told The Irrawaddy earlier that one of the injured died, but the report cannot be confirmed. At least two protestors were shot by security forces in downtown Yangon near Sule Pagoda. One protestor reportedly died, according to people who took part in the demonstration. The source said the soldiers continued firing at the demonstrators, who numbered several thousand. At the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, riot police beat some monks and dragged others away into waiting trucks.

I expect that these are just the opening volleys. A dawn to dusk curfew has already been ordered. The suffering people of Myanmar are not going to just give up and stay home. They know there is no turning back. They are going to continue to come out on the streets, violating the curfew. The military, sensing the threat to its existence, is going to start using Tiananmen-style measures to suppress them. This might include rolling out tanks and machine-gunning down crowds of unarmed civilians. An estimated 3,000 students and monks died in the pro-democracy uprising in 1988.

As all this murder is being committed against unarmed civilans, what is ASEAN doing? What is Singapore, the current chairman of ASEAN doing?

The Singapore Government has issued several statements voicing “concern” for the situation. It is quite obvious that our government cares more about the damage Myanmar is doing to ASEAN’s credibility, than the deaths of the protesters.

Singapore is now throwing its support behind the UN mission to Myanmar, which is led by Dr Ibrahim Gambari, a former Nigerian diplomat. While I applaud Dr Gambari and the UN’s effort, why is it that ASEAN cannot take the lead to bear down pressure on the military junta not to massacre its own people again, like it did 19 years ago?

Singapore is now the chairman of ASEAN. The Singapore Government’s lack of leadership in the situation in Myanmar makes me feel ashamed — absolutely ashamed — as a Singaporean!

The Government will reiterate its excuse that the generals do not listen to us. So do we think that they will listen to a non-Asian diplomat from the UN? The fact is that besides China and India, ASEAN wields the most influence over that reclusive regime.

Singapore should be assembling together a high-level ASEAN mission comprising at least Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines to make a immediate trip to Myanmar’s capital to warn the generals not to open fire into the protesting crowds, and threaten to suspend Myanmar from ASEAN if it does so. Forget the so-called principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of fellow ASEAN members. This situation calls for concrete action! ASEAN has a responsibility to protect the people of Myanmar and prevent massive bloodshed.

Even if the Myanmar authorities refuse to entertain the ASEAN mission, there are still other avenues to pursue. ASEAN could approach China and India, Myanmar’s strongest backers, to call on them to turn the screw on the junta. These two countries have tremendous leverage on the generals, because they are the lifeline of support (both financial and diplomatic) for the regime. It is in both their interest that the situation in Myanmar doesn’t boil over, because it will affect their own credibility, especially Beijing’s, as it is hosting next year’s Olympic Games.

The time for action is NOW. We must not wait for the soldiers to spray bullets and roll tanks into crowds of monks, nuns and students before we issue statements of “regret”. The ASEAN Summit celebrating the grouping’s 40th Anniversary is going to be held in Singapore in November. Does the Singapore Government want to lay out the red carpet for the generals whose hands are still dripping with the fresh blood of their own people?

Singaporeans can take action too. You can sign a worldwide petition to be sent to the UN Security Council (including China).

Or better still, blog about it to show our government and the people of Myanmar that Singaporeans care. Send a message to our Government that its inaction will have domestic political implications for our leaders too.

"Texas Barbeque Gathering" must go ahead

ASEAN-U.S. meeting will be an important step to building stronger relations

Photo: AFP

In what is seen as a signal that Southeast Asia is still important to the U.S., President George W. Bush has invited the region’s leaders to his ranch in Texas for a barbeque — and presumably more substantive talks too.

Bush made this invitation on Sep 7 at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Sydney, where leaders from 21 Asia-Pacific countries are gathered this week.

Many see Bush’s invitation as him making amends for skipping a high level summit with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was to be held in Singapore just before the APEC meeting. The Jakarta Post reported that Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Bush “wanted to prove that his postponement of (the) Singapore summit on the way to attend the APEC summit did not reduce the U.S. commitment to ASEAN”.

Just a few weeks earlier, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had, for the second time, skipped the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a security meeting between ASEAN ministers and their U.S., Russian, Chinese and Japanese counterparts.

All these no-shows by senior U.S. officials were seen as a snub to the region. U.S. officials insisted that it was due to scheduling difficulties — on each of these occasions, the U.S. leaders made last minute detours to the Middle East to deal with pressing security problems there.

However, many ASEAN leaders are concerned that ASEAN is getting relegated lower and lower in U.S. foreign policy and trade priorities, as the situation in Iraq and Israel-Palestine take centre stage, while remaining U.S. attention in Asia is getting diverted to rising giants China and India.

Going to Big Brother’s house?

Bush’s invitation to the ASEAN leaders to meet him together at his ranch has evoked mixed reactions. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described it as a “very good” move, with the government-controlled Straits Times boasting that Bush “reserves invitations to Texas as a diplomatic plum for close allies”[1].

Indonesian officials, however, were more cautious. They told The Jakarta Post that the location of the meeting in Texas could create the impression that “ASEAN leaders were ‘reporting back’ to a superior power”.[2]

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo was more circumspect. She told reporters that the meeting will be done “at the convenience” of ASEAN.

In most Asian family traditions, younger siblings are expected to visit the eldest sibling in his home during festive occasions like Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Eid ul-Fitr) — and not the other way around. While this protocol does not necessarily extend to international diplomacy, the cultural implications of Bush’s group invitation were probably lost on the President and his advisors.

The Myanmar Factor

Another reason for Bush and Rice skipping meetings with ASEAN could be because of the presence of Myanmar in the grouping. The Neo-cons in the Bush administration are understandably reluctant for their leaders to be seen sitting at the same table as the brutal military dictators who currently rule Myanmar. Hence, Bush’s latest invitation to the seven ASEAN leaders who were present at the APEC meeting could be a way for Bush to meet with just those countries he fancies, while excluding Myanmar, which the U.S. has been so openly critical about. Three ASEAN countries — Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos — are not APEC members.

In any case, the U.S. has a travel ban on leaders of the Myanmar junta and their family members. This makes it highly unlikely that it would allow any Myanmar leaders to attend the ASEAN-U.S. meeting in Texas. This could put ASEAN leaders in a quandary. ASEAN has up until now insisted on its principle that any meeting with ASEAN must include representatives from all its 10 member states. A previous ASEAN ministerial meeting with their European Union (EU) counterparts in The Netherlands got downgraded to “officials level” because the Dutch government refused to grant a visa to Myanmar’s Foreign Minister.

Whether ASEAN will insist on adhering to this principle this time around is unclear. Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told The Jakarta Post that ASEAN leaders would first have to discuss the practicalities of responding to Bush’s invitation before reaching a decision on whether or not to accept. However, Singapore, the current chair of ASEAN, has already promised to “coordinate a time for the meeting”.

Working Out the Practicalities of the Meeting

The practicalities of the ASEAN leaders’ meeting with Bush in Texas can and definitely should be worked out. For example, instead of naming it an ASEAN-U.S. meeting, it could be billed as a meeting between the U.S. president and several Southeast Asian leaders. Alternatively, the U.S. could allow a low level Myanmar official to represent Myanmar at the meeting, while extending invitations to the remaining ASEAN heads of government. In any case, top Myanmar junta leaders seldom travel out of the country except to seek medical treatment.

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Much at stake with U.S.-ASEAN relations

For most pragmatists in ASEAN, the decision whether or not to proceed with the high level meeting with Bush (with or without Myanmar) is a no brainer. The U.S. is ASEAN’s biggest trading partner. Beyond trade, U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia is critical to maintaining the balance of power in East Asia. A rising China is actively courting ASEAN with its lucrative offers of increased trade and diplomatic links. While all ASEAN countries welcome China’s interest in the region, most of them would still prefer the U.S. to continue maintaining a strong presence in the region.

ASEAN leaders need to find a way to generate greater U.S. interest in the region. Likewise, the U.S. also needs to realise that much is at stake if they lose their focus on ASEAN, which is home to over half a billion people and is the fourth largest trading partner of the U.S.. The U.S. shares many concerns with ASEAN, from the long-running fight against terrorism to more recent concerns like environmental protection and bird flu.

It would be unfortunate if relations were held back because of the Myanmar millstone or U.S. pre-occupation with events in the Middle East. This proposed Texas retreat will be an important step in the right direction to build stronger relations between ASEAN and the U.S.. All parties will do well not to pass up this opportunity.


This article first appeared in OhmyNews International.

[1] “Asean leaders get an invite to Texas from Bush”, The Straits Times, Sep 8, 2007.

[2] “Bush’s Texas invite leaves APEC leaders in an awkward silence”, The Jakarta Post, Sep 8, 2007.