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U.S. Frustrated by Failure of Burma



/* Written 10:32 am  Jun 30, 1994 by cesloane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in igc:bitl.seasia */
/* ---------- "U.S. Frustrated by Failure of Burma" ---------- */
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>Subject: U.S. Frustrated by Failure of Burma Policy
>Copyright: 1994 by Reuters, R
>Date: Wed, 29 Jun 94 10:40:08 PDT

         WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The United States is frustrated by the
failure of its policy to restore democracy in Burma, a State
Department official said Wednesday.
         ``Burma continues to present one of the most frustrating yet
compelling problems in our relations,'' Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State Thomas Hubbard told the House of
Representatives Asian and Pacific Affairs subcommittee.
         ``I would not say our policy has been successful,'' he said.
         Hubbard said the U.S. goal was to support democracy and end
human rights abuses in Burma and to stop Burma's opium and
heroin production and exports. But he said Burma's military
government remained firmly in control while the democratic
opposition was weak.
         Hubbard said U.S. efforts to impose international arms and
economic sanctions against Burma had not gotten any support and
Washington did not believe unilateral U.S. sanctions would do
any good.
         ``The international community is not prepared to support
sanctions,'' he said.
         Hubbard said China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea,
Australia, France and Britain were all investing in Burma while
China, Poland, Portugal, Singapore and South Korea were selling
weapons to Burma's military government.
         He said there were no plans to send a U.S. ambassador to
Burma. The post has been been vacant for four years.
         Hubbard said Burma's government had eased its martial law
somewhat in the past two year by freeing some 2,000 political
prisoners, ending a nation-wide curfew and reopening
universities. But he said Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu
Kyi and other democratic leaders remain under detention.
         The subcommittee approved a resolution urging Burma's
military rulers to give up power to the civilian government
elected in 1990, release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political
prisoners and respect human rights.
         It also called on President Clinton and the State Department
to continue pressure on the military government to restore