IN: Alatas Visits Burma

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/* Written  3:20 pm  Feb 23, 1994 by DEBRA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:hrnet.asia-pac */
/* ---------- "IN: Alatas Visits Burma" ---------- */
## author     : apakabar@xxxxxxxxx
## date       : 21.02.94

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Forwarded message:

DATE=2/21/94
TITLE=BURMA INDONESIA
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=BANGKOK

INTRO:  INDONESIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, ALI ALATAS, IS
VISITING BURMA AS PART OF A SOUTHEAST ASIA TOUR.  V-O-A'S
DAN ROBINSON REPORTS THE INDONESIAN OFFICIAL'S TALKS IN
RANGOON FOLLOW HIGH-LEVEL VISITS TO JAKARTA LAST YEAR BY
SENIOR LEADERS OF BURMA'S MILITARY -- WHO SEE INDONESIA AS A
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ROLE MODEL:

TEXT:  MR. ALATAS, WHO HAS ALSO VISITED LAOS DURING HIS
REGIONAL TRIP, ARRIVED SUNDAY IN BURMA.  HE WAS MET AT
RANGOON AIRPORT BY BURMA'S FOREIGN MINISTER OHN GYAW AND
OTHER OFFICIALS.

INDONESIA HAS EMERGED AS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE MODEL FOR
BURMA'S RULING MILITARY, ALTHOUGH SOME OFFICIALS IN JAKARTA
ARE REPORTED TO VIEW THIS AS A NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENT.

SINCE VIOLENTLY SUPPRESSING PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS IN 1988,
BURMESE MILITARY LEADERS HAVE COME TO VIEW INDONESIA AS AN
EXAMPLE OF POSITIVE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.
MILITARY-CONTROLLED MEDIA PRAISE INDONESIA'S POLITICAL
SYSTEM IN WHICH THE ARMY HAS THE DUAL ROLE OF PROTECTING THE
SECURITY OF THE STATE WHILE DOMINATING PARTY POLITICS.

/// OPT ///  THE BURMESE JUNTA HAS ALREADY CARVED INTO A
CONSTITUTIONAL DRAFTING PROCESS PRINCIPLES THAT GUARANTEE
THE ARMY A LONG-TERM DOMINANT ROLE IN BURMA'S POLITICAL
AFFAIRS.  /// END OPT ///

LAST DECEMBER, A HIGH-LEVEL BURMESE DELEGATION THAT INCLUDED
POWERFUL JUNTA FIGURE LIEUTENANT GENERAL KHIN NYUNT VISITED
INDONESIA.

ALTHOUGH INDONESIAN OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY SOUGHT TO DOWNPLAY
THE VISIT,  BURMA'S FOREIGN MINISTER USED THE OCCASION TO
PRAISE INDONESIA'S COMPLIMENTARY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
SYSTEMS.  HE ALSO DEFENDED RANGOON AGAINST CRITICISM BY
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, REJECTING
DEMANDS THAT THE JUNTA FREE BURMESE OPPOSITION LEADER AND
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE AUNG SAN SUU KYI.

BUT, RECENTLY THE JUNTA PERMITTED THE FIRST OUTSIDE ACCESS
TO AUNG SAN SUU KYI SINCE HER DETENTION BEGAN IN JULY 1989
-- ALLOWING A U-S CONGRESSMAN, A U-N OFFICIAL AND A WESTERN
JOURNALIST TO MEET HER.

SOME ANALYSTS BELIEVE THE DECISION WAS DUE, IN PART, TO
PRESSURE FROM COUNTRIES SUCH AS INDONESIA AND SINGAPORE
WHICH, ALONG WITH THAILAND, ARE NOW BURMA'S MAIN REGIONAL
FRIENDS.

BURMA WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND A JULY MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN).  OFFICIALS
IN NEIGHBORING THAILAND ARE REPORTED TO FAVOR SUCH AN
INVITATION. BUT, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN ASEAN ABOUT THE
ISSUE.

                        /// REST OPT ///

TWO SINGAPOREAN OFFICIALS VISITING BANGKOK LAST WEEK SAID
SINGAPORE WOULD SUPPORT AN INVITATION FOR BURMA AS LONG AS
ALL SIX ASEAN MEMBER STATES AGREE.

AN EDITORIAL SUNDAY IN THAILAND'S ENGLISH-LANGUAGE
NEWSPAPER, THE NATION, SAID HAVING BURMA AS A GUEST OF ASEAN
WOULD DAMAGE THE ORGANIZATION'S CREDIBILITY.  (SIGNED)

NEB/RAE

21-Feb-94 6:50 AM EST (1150 UTC) NNNN