Politicians in several member states of ASEAN, including Malaysia and the Philippines, are trying to stop Myanmar assuming ASEAN’s alphabetically rotating chairmanship in late 2006 after Malaysia.

Another member Singapore had said ASEAN leaders were worried that its international reputation would be tarnished unless Myanmar implemented democratic reforms.

If Myanmar is allowed to chair ASEAN despite its dismal human rights record, “the United States, the EU and the community of democracies should boycott any and all ASEAN meetings and events,” Republican Senator Mitch McConnell said.

“To do anything less would betray the nonviolent struggle for freedom that Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy and the ethnic minorities have waged for over a decade,” said the majority whip of President George W. Bush’s Republican party.

The United States has imposed trade and investment sanctions on Myanmar to back its demands for political reforms in the state, where pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest and her National League for Democracy party’s offices have been shut down.

Foreign ministers of the 10-member ASEAN traditionally hold their annual talks in summer and invite their counterparts from the United States and EU as well as other key trading partners for the meeting.

If Myanmar takes over the helm of ASEAN, it will host the annual meeting of the Southeast Asian leaders in 2006 and the foreign ministers meeting in 2007.

Washington has said it might boycott ASEAN meetings in Yangon unless Myanmar adopted political reforms, including the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

“I think we’ve made clear that we expect Burma’s leadership to take steps to promote genuine national reconciliation and democracy, and engage in meaningful dialogue with members of the political opposition and ethnic groups, and release all political prisoners and respect the fundamental rights of its citizens,” deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

“We’ve also made clear that the failure of Burma’s government to do that and the prevailing situation in Burma complicates our dealings with ASEAN,” he said, using Myanmar’s previous name.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “will have to decide whether it’s appropriate to participate at senior levels in meetings in Burma based on the situation that exists there at the time, in 2006 and 2007,” Ereli said.

McConnell also said the EU must make clear that Myanmar’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006 was “completely unacceptable.”

He said that given the “illegitimate” military regime in Yangon and its “abhorrent democracy and human rights record, which includes the use of rape as a weapon of war,” such chairmanship would be a “tremendous loss of face” to ASEAN and the region.

He said he was disturbed that Thailand, a close US ally, continued to support the military junta.

“Thailand is simply out of step with the region and with other world democracies, McConnell said.

Continued Thai support for the junta “serves only to prolong the suffering” of Aung San Suu Kyi and her compatriots, who remain imprisoned for advocating liberty and justice, he said.

Aung San Suu Kyi is the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

Aside from Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.