Myanmar prepares for SEA GAMES, more international legitimacy

BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) - Myanmar is finalizing groundwork for this year’s SEA GAMES, in an apparent effort to seek international legitimacy after a series of reform moves as the country prepares for national elections in 2015. Dr. Sunait Chutintaranond, an expert on international affairs at Thailand’s renowned Chulalongkorn University, believes Myanmar’s leadership is now in a position to strip the country of its underdeveloped status by the hosting Southeast Asia’s biggest sporting event. He said the return of SEA GAMES to Myanmar is a credit to the democratization process in Myanmar, given recent political developments since the swearing in of its first civilian government. He explained that this victory that would make Myanmar the focal point of ASEAN and Asia, have made it even more conducive for ASEAN leaders to give Myanmar the diplomatic prize of the ASEAN chair in 2014, giving the world a chance to see how Myanmar would position herself in the international community. “Both sea games and chairman of asean is what the government needs to show current party to run such a big event, and the government will get more support from the people, despite not guarantee the victory of government in election of 2015,” he said. The 27th SEA GAMES (Southeast Asian Games) will be hosted by Myanmar for the third time in history, with its opening ceremony held in the country’s new administrative capital Nay Pyi Taw this December. Starting from 2014, along with the ASEAN chairmanship, Myanmar will host the East Asia Summit, which brings the US, China and Russia, among others. It is understood that the UN once labelled Myanmar as one of the world’s ten least developed nations. Myanmar joined asean in 1997, being the 9th member after Lao PDR. (TNA)