ASEAN Signal to Rangoon

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Subject: ASEAN Signal to Rangoon

/* Written  8:34 am  Jul 20, 1994 by apakabar@xxxxxxxxx in gn:reg.indonesia */
/* ---------- "ASEAN Signal to Rangoon" ---------- */

Forwarded message:
>From julia_read@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tue Jul 19 22:42 EDT 1994
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 12:45:50 +1000
Subject: IN- ASEAN/Burma
To: John MacDougall <apakabar@xxxxxxxxx>
Message-id: <01HEXHAJ4VXE000MYW@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Mail*Link(r) SMTP               IN: ASEAN/Burma

DATE=7/19/94
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-17738
TITLE=ASEAN/BURMA
 
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
 
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THIS WEEK, BURMA WILL BE PRESENT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AT 
A MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN). 
THE DECISION TO INVITE BURMA AS A GUEST OF THE HOST COUNTRY, 
THAILAND, HAS BEEN WIDELY CRITICIZED BY BURMESE DISSIDENT GROUPS 
AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.  BUT ASEAN APPEARS COMMITTED TO ITS 
POLICY OF ENGAGING THE MILITARY IN WIDER DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC 
TIES.  V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON EXPLORES WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR BURMA 
AT THIS YEAR'S ASEAN CONFERENCE:

TEXT:  BURMESE DISSIDENT FORCES DESCRIBE IT AS A DISASTER.  THE 
UNITED STATES -- A KEY OPPONENT OF CONTINUED MILITARY RULE IN 
RANGOON -- DOESN'T LIKE IT.  HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS SAY IT 
STRENGTHENS THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP IN BURMA.

HOWEVER, FOR THE SIX MEMBERS OF ASEAN (THAILAND, MALAYSIA, 
SINGAPORE, INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES AND BRUNEI) BURMA'S ATTENDANCE 
AT THE THE ANNUAL MINISTERIAL MEETING IS IN KEEPING WITH THE 
ORGANIZATION'S POLICY OF ENCOURAGING CHANGE BY EXPANDING 
DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC LINKS.

BURMA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, OHN GYAW, WILL ATTEND ONLY OPENING AND 
CLOSING CEREMONIES IN BANGKOK AND A FORMAL DINNER AS A GUEST OF 
THAILAND.

ASEAN OFFICIALS HAVE IN RECENT DAYS RULED OUT ANY THOUGHT THAT 
THIS WILL LEAD TO OBSERVER STATUS FOR BURMA IN ASEAN.  BURMA HAS 
NOT SIGNED THE ASEAN TREATY OF AMITY AND COOPERATION, A FIRST 
STEP TO FULL MEMBERSHIP.

AND DESPITE THE REPORTED ASEAN CONSENSUS ON BURMA'S PRESENCE, 
REGIONAL ANALYSTS SAY DIFFERENCES REMAIN WITHIN ASEAN OVER HOW TO
RECONCILE CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS AND POLITICAL 
REPRESSION WITH THE POLICY OF CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT.

CRITICS SAY THAT BY INVITING BURMA, EVEN WITH CEREMONIAL GUEST 
STATUS, THAILAND HAS SENT A DANGEROUS SIGNAL TO RANGOON THAT IT 
CAN CONTINUE TO IGNORE DEMANDS FOR THE TRANSFER OF POWER TO 
CIVILIANS.

THE ASEAN MEETINGS COINCIDE WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH YEAR 
OF HOUSE ARREST FOR BURMESE DEMOCRACY LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, 
WHOSE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY PARTY WON AN OVERWHELMING 
VICTORY IN A 1990 ELECTION PERMITTED BY THE MILITARY.

THE TRANSFER OF POWER TO THOSE ELECTED, AND THE PARTICIPATION OF 
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, REMAIN KEY DEMANDS OF THE UNITED STATES, 
MEMBERS OF THE U-S CONGRESS, AND DISSIDENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS 
GROUPS.

A POWERFUL FIGURE IN BURMA'S JUNTA, LIEUTENANT GENERAL KHIN 
NYUNT, RECENTLY TOLD THE NEW YORK TIMES (NEWSPAPER) HE WOULD MEET
AUNG SAN SUU KYI.

HOWEVER, SUCH TALKS -- IF THEY TAKE PLACE AT ALL -- WOULD 
PROBABLY NOT OCCUR UNTIL AFTER A NATIONAL CONVENTION AIMED AT 
GIVING THE MILITARY PERMANENT CONTROL OVER POLITICS AND, 
OBSERVERS SAY, EXCLUDING AUNG SAN SUU KYI.

ASEAN MEMBERS INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND SINGAPORE HAVE STEPPED UP 
ECONOMIC DEALINGS WITH BURMA'S JUNTA, SENDING HIGH-LEVEL 
DELEGATIONS TO RANGOON.

HOWEVER, IT WAS THAILAND -- WITH THE STRONGEST LINKS TO BURMA'S 
RULING MILITARY -- THAT ENCOURAGED BURMA'S PRESENCE AT THIS 
YEAR'S MINISTERIAL MEETING.

// OPT // FOREIGN MINISTER PRASONG SOONSIRI, A TARGET OF MOST OF 
THE CRITICISM ON THAI POLICY TOWARD BURMA, RECENTLY DESCRIBED 
ASEAN POLICY AS BEING AIMED AT ENCOURAGING DEMOCRATIZATION IN 
BURMA. // END OPT //

THAILAND AND ASEAN ARE BEING PRESSURED TO USE THEIR POLICY 
APPROACH TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF PROGRESS.

TWO U-S CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES THIS MONTH URGED WASHINGTON TO 
OPPOSE RANGOON'S PARTICIPATION IN ASEAN AND TAKE A STRONG STAND 
ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BURMA.

THE UNITED STATES, AS ONE OF SEVEN DIALOGUE PARTNERS MEETING WITH
ASEAN NEXT WEEK, WANTS SOUTHEAST ASIAN GOVERNMENTS TO USE THEIR 
INFLUENCE TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE IN BURMA.

// REST OPT //

THE VIEW IS SHARED BY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.  NEWS REPORTS SAID 
GERMANY'S FOREIGN MINISTER -- REPRESENTING THE EUROPEAN UNION AT 
THE ASEAN MEETING -- WAS SEEKING A MEETING WITH BURMA'S FOREIGN 
MINISTER IN BANGKOK.

JAPAN, ANOTHER ASEAN DIALOGUE PARTNER, THIS YEAR RESUMED LOANS TO
BURMA BUT HAS KEPT UP PRESSURE ON RANGOON TO RELEASE AUNG SAN SUU
KYI. (SIGNED)

NEB/DR/FA/HVS

19-Jul-94 5:24 AM EDT (0924 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America