Clinton: 'The United States is back' in Asia

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-22 13:40

BANGKOK: On her second trip to Asia as US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton is carrying a no-nonsense message about American intentions.

"The United States is back," she declared Tuesday upon arrival in the Thai capital.

Clinton: 'The United States is back' in Asia

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House in Bangkok July 21, 2009. [Agencies]

By that she means the administration of President Barack Obama thinks it's time to show Asian nations that the United States is not distracted by its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and intends to broaden and deepen its partnerships in this region.

Clinton was trumpeting that line Wednesday in an appearance with a prominent TV personality before flying to a seaside resort at Phuket for two days of international meetings to discuss the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Myanmar and a range of other regional issues.

Clinton says she would, as previously announced, sign ASEAN's seminal Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, a commitment to peacefully resolve regional disputes that has already been signed by more than a dozen countries outside the 10-nation bloc.

The US signing will be by the executive authority of Obama and does not require congressional ratification, said a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the move publicly.

The administration of President George W. Bush had declined to sign the document; Obama sees it as a symbolic underscoring of the US commitment to Asia.

On her arrival here Tuesday, Clinton reiterated Obama administration concerns that the DPRK, already a threat to the US and its neighbors with its history of illicit sales of missiles and nuclear technology, is now developing ties to Myanmar's military dictatorship.

Clinton held out the possibility of offering the DPRK a new set of incentives to return to negotiating a dismantling of its nuclear program if it shows a "willingness to take a different path." But she admitted there is little immediate chance of that.

A Clinton aide said the United States and its allies are looking for a commitment by Pyongyang that would irreversibly end its nuclear weapons program. The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal US government deliberations, said there is no sign that the DPRK intends to make such a move, keeping the US focus on enforcing expanded UN sanctions.

In her remarks about a possible Myanmar-DPRK connection, Clinton did not refer explicitly to a nuclear link but made clear that the ties are disconcerting.

"We know there are also growing concerns about military cooperation between North Korea (DPRK) and Burma (Myanmar) which we take very seriously," she said at a news conference in the Thai capital.

"It would be destabilizing for the region, it would pose a direct threat to Burma's neighbors," she said, adding that as a treaty ally of Thailand, the United States takes the matter seriously.

Later, a senior administration official said that Washington is concerned about the possibility that Pyongyang could be cooperating with Yangon on a nuclear weapons program, but he added that US intelligence information on this is incomplete. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter.

The United States, in a joint effort with the Republic of Korea, Japan, China and Russia, is attempting to use UN sanctions as leverage to compel the DPRK to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear program. A major element of the international concern about the DPRK is the prospect of nuclear proliferation, which could lead to a nuclear arms race in Asia and beyond.

Clinton spoke to reporters after meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at the outset of a three-day visit to Thailand.

Clinton sharply criticized the military rulers of Myanmar for human rights abuses, "particularly violent actions that are attributed to the Burmese military concerning the mistreatment and abuse of young girls."

In Washington, the US House of Representatives voted to renew sanctions aimed at penalizing the the country's ruling junta. The resolution approving the reauthorization of the sanctions now goes to the Senate for consideration.

The resolution renews sanctions targeting imports from Myanmar and also maintains a ban on importing jade and other gems from Myanmar. The legislation was first enacted in 2003.