UPDATED INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO U

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Subject: UPDATED INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO U.S. SANCTIONS

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1U.S. ban on new investment in Burma gets mixed  reviews
 2.CHINA CONDEMNS U.S. SANCTIONS
3.US sanctions on Burma will not affect  ASEAN entry: Thai PM
4.US sanctions will not affect Burma's entry  into ASEAN: Malaysia
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U.S. ban on new investment in Burma gets mixed  reviews
 April 23, 1997
  7.29 a.m. EDT (1129 GMT)

  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional leaders are applauding but business
  executives are opposing President Clinton's decision to bar new U.S.
  investments in Burma because of "severe repression'' by the country's military
  regime. 

  House International Relations Committee Chairman Benjamin Gilman,
  R-N.Y., said Clinton's decision was "long in coming and fully justified.'' 

  He said the repression in Burma "is an affront to basic human values embraced
  by all Americans.'' 

  Support also was expressed by Sens. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., and
  John McCain, R-Ariz., both experts in Southeast Asian issues. 

  But the announcement was strongly condemned by the National Association of
  Manufacturers. 

  Its president, Jerry Jasinowski, said: "Unilateral economic sanctions are no
  substitute for a serious foreign policy. The measures will harm the
interests of
  the very people the law was designed to help -- the impoverished Burmese
  people -- while doing nothing to advance human rights.'' 

  Unocal Corp., which is building a natural gas pipeline from Burma to Thailand
  in cooperation with its French partner, Total SA, also criticized the
  administration. 

  "Historically, unilateral sanctions have proven to be ineffective. Economic
  engagement, not isolation, is the best way to promote positive change,'' said
  Unocal, the largest U.S. investor in Burma. 

  Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., chairman of the Senate Appropriations
  subcommittee on foreign operations, praised the decision but said he would
  press for a more comprehensive ban on investment in Burma. 

  "It's not enough to issue an executive order against new investment and then
  do nothing else,'' McConnell said at a news conference. 

  Clinton said he took the step in response to a "constant and continuing
pattern
  of severe repression.'' 

  Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Burma's leaders have refused to
  heed repeated American appeals to open a political dialogue with Burmese
  democrats, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. 

  She said the Burmese authorities harassed Suu Kyi, closed political party
  offices and arrested peaceful demonstrators. Suu Kyi appealed for
international
  sanctions against Burma two months ago. 

  According to Albright, repression in Burma has worsened since enactment of a
  law last fall authorizing Clinton to prohibit new U.S. investment in the
event of
  "large-scale repression of or violence against'' Burma's democratic
opposition. 

  In Burma, the reaction to the announcement was hailed by opponents of the
  military regime. 

  Tin Oo, vice chairman of the opposition National League for Democracy, said
  in a telephone interview from Rangoon, the Burmese capital, that the U.S.
  move "is one we have very much longingly hoped would happen.'' 
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China condemns US sanctions on Burma

           BEIJING, April 23 (AFP) - China condemned Wednesday the US
decision to
           impose economic sanctions on Burma, warning that such a
confrontational
           approach could only serve to increase antagonism on all sides.

           US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced the US
investment ban in
           Washington Tuesday, citing severe restrictions on the activities
of opposition
           leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD). 

           "China is always against interference in other countries'
internal affairs by
           making use of economic means," a Chinese foreign ministry
spokesman said.

           "Isolating and excluding (Burma) will only increase tensions and
aggravate
           confrontation, and will benefit no side," the spokesman said.

           China is one of the major foreign investors in Burma and was the
first country
           to recognise the Rangoon military regime, which took power after
a bloody
           coup in 1988.
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US sanctions on Burma will not affect  ASEAN entry: Thai PM

           BANGKOK, April 23 (AFP) - US imposed economic sanctions on Burma
           will not affect Rangoon's entry into the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations
           (ASEAN), Thai Prime Minister Chaowalit Yongchaiyudh said Wednesday.

           "We understand what the US has done, but ASEAN will stick to its
           agreements and our decision will not depend on other countries,"
Chaowalit
           told reporters.

           US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced the US
investment ban in
           Washington Tuesday, citing severe restrictions on the activities
of opposition
           leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD).

           Chaowalit said the US decision was a bilateral issue which would
in no way
           affect Thai investments in the neighboring country.

           He added that ASEAN -- which groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
           Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- was committed to
its decision
           last year to admit Burma at the same time as Cambodia and Laos.

           Although the grouping failed to give a date for the entry of the
three countries,
           analysts believe that they will be admitted before the end of the
year to mark
           ASEAN's 30th anniversary.

           Chaowalit said ASEAN would discuss the issue further at a special
foreign
           ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur next month.

           The Thai prime minister also reaffirmed that he planned to visit
the Burmese
           capital next month despite the sanctions.
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US sanctions will not affect Burma's entry  into ASEAN: Malaysia

           KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 (AFP) - A US decision to clamp economic
           sanctions on Burma will not affect its prospects of joining the
Association of
           Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysian Premier Mahathir Mohamad
           said Wednesday.

           "We are going to work very hard to get Myanmar (Burma's official
name) into
           ASEAN," Bernama news agency quoted Mahathir as saying in response to
           Washington's announcement Tuesday barring new US investments in
Burma.

           The US said the action was due to the Burmese ruling junta's
repression of the
           pro-democracy opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

           Asked if Malaysia as the current chairman of ASEAN would protest
against
           the US decision, Mahathir said Kuala Lumpur would discuss the
issue with the
           other ASEAN members.

           ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore,
           Thailand and Vietnam.

           It has agreed to admit Cambodia, Laos and Burma to enlarge the ASEAN
           family to 10 but no timing for their entry had been set.

           ASEAN foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Kuala Lumpur on
May 31
           to discuss when to admit the three countries into the regional
grouping.

           They are likely to be admitted this year, either during the ASEAN
ministerial
           meeting in July and the informal ASEAN summit in December, some ASEAN
           watchers said.

           On whether the US decision to impose sanctions would affect ASEAN-US
           relations, Mahathir said: "No, I don't know. I can't predict what
ASEAN is
           going to say. We will talk to ASEAN countries."

           Many analysts say that the US sanctions will have little bite
given the small
           number of American companies doing business in Burma and will
only open the
           door further for their Asian and European competitors.