CAMPBELL TO PRESS SOUTH KOREA TO ADDRESS MYANMAR HUMAN RIGHTS

News - Regional Written by NAM NEWS NETWORK Tuesday, 02 February 2010 23:59

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is expected to press South Korea to speak up about human rights abuses in Myanmar when he meets top South Korean officials this week ...

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (NNN-Yonhap) — U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is expected to press South Korea to speak up about human rights abuses in Myanmar when he meets top South Korean officials this week, an informed source here said Tuesday.

For South Korea, the Myanmar issue is subtle and complicated as it seeks to keep alliance with Washington robust and also improve economic and other relations with the Southeast Asian nation, formerly known as Burma.

“Of course, the North Korean nuclear issue, the (Korea-U.S.) free trade agreement, and pending alliance issues will be discussed here as main issues during Assistant Secretary Campbell’s visit. But, in addition, he also plans to raise the Myanmar issue,” the source told Yonhap News Agency, requesting anonymity.

Campbell was to arrive in Seoul later Tuesday for a three-day stay during which he will meet Kim Sung-hwan, top presidential secretary for diplomacy and security affairs, chief nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac, and Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon.

The Obama administration wants South Korea to actively join its campaign to address human rights abuses by Myanmar’s military junta, the source said, in the belief that Seoul’s participation will help encourage other nations to join the initiative.

But South Korea has maintained a tepid stance in consideration of its ties with the country. Seoul launched its “New Asia Diplomacy” imitative last year, aiming to strengthen relations with Asian neighbors.

“It (the Myanmar problem) is a thorny issue for the South Korean government,” the source said. “So far, South Korea has expressed its position on the matter indirectly — only saying that it is interested in the issue. It would be hard for South Korea to directly call for the Myanmar government to resolve the human rights issue.” — NNN-Yonhap

Original source: http://news.brunei.fm/2010/02/02/campbell-to-press-south-korea-to-address-myanmar-human-rights/