REUTER: Jakarta Post Suggests Burma

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Subject: REUTER: Jakarta Post Suggests Burma for National Reconciliation

 Jakarta Post Suggests Burma for National Reconciliation

    JAKARTA, May 27 (Reuter) - Burma's military government and opposition
should jointly seek to ensure peace and stability in the country, the
Jakarta Post said on Monday.
     The English-language newspaper noted that six of the seven members of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had not commented on the
Burmese situation, following its policy of "constructive engagement"
through dialogue.
     But it said in an editorial it thought the concern expressed by
Thailand reflected feelings in the other ASEAN states -- Brunei, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
     A Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman last week expressed concern over the
Burmese government's crackdown on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy ahead of an NLD conference in Rangoon on
Sunday.
     "Given the widespread support which the NLD...appears to enjoy both in
Myanmar (Burma) and throughout the world, we hope that both sides in the
present standoff in Yangon (Rangoon) will see the wisdom of trying to
jointly work out some kind of solution that could gradually lead the
country to the genuine peace and stability, which it deserves," the Post
said.
     Suu Kyi kept her pledge and opened a meeting of her democracy party on
Sunday despite the arrest of the majority of the politicians expected to
attend.
     Some 238 of 300 NLD representatives due to attend have been detained
in the most sweeping crackdown by the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) against the opposition since 1990.
     The SLORC says it has not arrested NLD activists but only detained
them for questioning in order to avoid "anarchy."
     The Post said it hoped national reconciliation would be achieved
before Burma joins ASEAN. "It would be to the benefit of ASEAN to have a
genuinely stable and internationally respected Myanmar join it."
     Burma and India are to join the 19-nation ASEAN Regional Forum at a
ministerial-level meeting in Jakarta in July. ASEAN founded the ARF last
year to promote regional security.
     The main Indonesian-language newspapers reported the NLD conference
without comment.
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