South-East Asian ministers said today they would approve Burma’s bid to chair their 10-member bloc in 2014, in a major boost for its new government after a series of reform gestures.

“Everybody agrees to Burma, 2014,” Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman told reporters at Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) talks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

“They have taken positive steps toward democratisation. We should encourage them more by letting them host the meeting.”

In 2006, Burma was forced to renounce the Asean rotating presidency in the face of intense criticism over its rights record and failure to shift to democracy.

But since elections a year ago which ended decades of military rule, the new nominally civilian regime has unveiled surprising gestures including prisoner releases which have begun to rehabilitate Burma’s pariah status.

A decision to allow Burma to chair Asean would involve it hosting the 10-nation group’s summit, as well as the gathering of the wider East Asia Summit which includes Burma’s arch-critic the United States.

But Burma’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin indicated that the decision was in the bag.

“All the ministers support Burma’s chairpersonship in 2014 and I welcome the decision,” he told reporters.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the bloc’s leaders would make a formal decision when they meet later this week.

“We discussed it thoroughly. All those who have spoken spoke in a very positive note,” he said after ministerial talks today. “I would be surprised if there is any dissenting view.

“The overwhelming sense is that there are positive conditions for Burma’s chairpersonship but we hope that this chairpersonship would bring more momentum for change in Burma.”

- AFP