conversation with the Myanmar Ambas

[mbeer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: conversation with the Myanmar Ambassador to US

Many have asked about my conversation with U Tin Win, the Myanmar 
Ambassador to the U.S., Saturday, March 22nd in Washington, DC at the Chin 
cultural celebration.

My paraphrasing below is only my side of the story.

I started by asking the ambassador to defect to the democracy movement.
His immediate reaction will remain confidential.  Then he said SLORC is 
moving toward democracy.

I encouraged him, as an outsider, to see the need for dialogue.

UTW said plenty of dialogue was happening at National Convention.  The NLD 
made up the bulk of the elected officials at the convention and they left.
SLORC is ready for dialogue, the NLD isn't.

I said, according to a person I have met who attended the 
Convention, Daniel Aung, Karrenni MP, that the convention was a joke and 
that no dialogue was taking place at the time of NLD attendance.

UTW encouraged expatriates to join with SLORC to work for a better 
myanmar.  He doesn't think economic sanctions are helping the country.
Despite this, he stated, the economy has done very well since 1988.
Things are getting better.

Dr. Vum Son and his daughter interjected, why are so many Burmese were 
leaving Burma and working illegally abroad?  UTW said this is human nature and 
even people from rich places like Taiwan, leave to work abroad.

I said comparing the economic performance to BSPP times was not much to 
boast about.  If he really wanted a strong economy, it was obvious that 
an NLD led government would be more capable.

Then Dr. Sein Win walked in the room, and he and the military attache 
quickly left.


Warmly,
Michael Beer
mbeer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx