Bush likely to cancel US, ASEAN summit over Myanmar

US, US President George W. Bush likely will cancel a summit he was planning with Southeast Asian leaders, following Myanmar's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests, ASEAN diplomats said here Sunday.

American officials indicated at a US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) senior officials dialogue in San Francisco about a week ago that "it would be difficult for President Bush to host the summit" which would have been held at his Texas ranch, an ASEAN diplomat told AFP.

"Considering what happened in Myanmar, we understand that it might also be politically sensitive to hold such a summit on US soil, especially during an electoral year," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Bush made the summit proposal on September 7 when he met several ASEAN leaders at the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit in Sydney.

About three weeks later, Myanmar's military rulers launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks which, according to a UN report, leaving at least 31 people dead and 74 missing, and drawing global outrage.

Bush has already ordered two round of sanctions and threatened further US-led global measures against the ruling junta if it continued to ignore calls for a democratic transition.

The US leader usually reserves invitations to his sprawling Texas ranch for important allies but made the surprise invitation to the ASEAN leaders, including an official from Myanmar, in a bid to underline US commitment, which has been persistently questioned in the region.

White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe had said at the time that all ASEAN heads of state had been invited, except Myanmar, whose "level of participation is to be determined."

If the Texas summit which would have been held in early 2008 is canceled, it would be the second time Bush will scrap talks with leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states.

Washington, Monday, AFP