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SLORC Bans Jounalist to Aung San Su



Subject: SLORC Bans Jounalist to Aung San Suu Kyi

Headline:
1) White House
2) Burma Warns
3)Enter Asean
4)Sanction

The White House Expected to Announce Sanctions 

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuter) - The White House said Thursday it expects to
issue an executive order detailing U.S. sanctions against Burma around
midday Tuesday, May 20. 

President Bill Clinton announced on April 22 that Washington was imposing a
ban on new U.S. investment in response to repressive policies and human
rights abuses by the Burmese military government. 

However, there were no details on how the sanctions would apply, leaving
large U.S. investors, particulary three major oil companies, waiting for
word on possible repercussions. 

Unocal Corp <UCL.N> is the largest American investor in Burma, followed by
two other oil giants, Texaco <TX.N> and Atlantic Richfield Co <ARC.N>. 

Overall, the U.S. is the fourth largest foreign investor in Burma with some
$582.07 million committed towards 16 projects in the oil and gas sectors. 

Burma investment experts said the White House has been troubled on how to
categorize Burmese sanctions, since the ban will be on only new investments,
not existing projects. 

"It has been hard for the administration to get a baseline on what
investment is there (in Burma), and what is new investment. They have not
been sure how to proceed," said Brenda Bateman, Burma Project Manager for
Washington D.C.-based Investor Responsibility Research Center. 

Most U.S. sanctions programs are straightforward, Bateman said, but the
question of whether to ban re-investments from existing projects separates
Burma from the pack. 

"We know that in South Africa, those types of reinvestments were exempt,"
Bateman said. 

However, many of the current oil and gas projects on and offshore Burma
allow for additional investments for staked-out properties. 

"If they (the White House) want, they can keep the language broad and allow
these companies a lot of lattitude," said Bateman. 

In the 1993-1996 period, the U.S. unilaterally issued 61 laws and executive
actions imposing varying degrees of sanctions against 35 countries. 

Those numbers do not include United Nations sanctions in which the U.S.
participates. 

Patrick Connole, NY Energy Desk, ((+1 212 859 1828)) 

16:36 05-15-97
**********************

Burma Wants The Press Kept away from Suu Kyi
he Associated Press  

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Burma's military rulers have asked the Thai
government to bar Thai reporters from meeting with democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, Thai officials said today. 

About 15 Thai journalists will accompany Prime Minister Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh when he travels to Burma to confer with leading members of that
country's military government Friday and Saturday. 

The Burmese regime has been tightening restrictions on, and denying visas
to, most foreign journalists to prevent them from trying to interview Suu Kyi. 

The generals are keeping the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize-winner in a state of
near-house arrest, with military roadblocks around her home preventing most
supporters from reaching her. 

Chavalit has billed himself as a friend of Burma's generals who can use his
close ties to try to expose them to international norms of behavior and help
moderate their repressive tactics. 

Burmese democracy activists and human rights groups charge, however, that in
his rush to help Thai companies that want to do business in Burma, Chavalit
has backed the military government's policies. 

Thai government spokesmen refused to comment on the Burmese request, calling
it ``a very sensitive matter.'' 

A Thai diplomat, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, said, however,
that Burma's Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the request to its Thai
counterpart while preparations for the trip were being arranged. 

He said that it was the government's duty to inform the local journalists of
the Burmese request. The government would advise them that although Thailand
has a tradition of press freedom, they were visiting a country that did not,
the diplomat said. 

However, because Thailand observes freedom of the press, the government was
not in a position to bar them from attempting to meet Suu Kyi, he said. 

He added that a Burmese liaison officer would be posted with the news corps. 

Thai journalists who accompanied former Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa
to Burma in 1996 complained that Burmese intelligence officers prevented
them from leaving their hotels unescorted. 

AP-NY-05-15-97 0638EDT
*****************
Vietnam, Thailand Support Burma Entry into ASEAN
By Linda Sieg 

TOKYO, May 15 (Reuter) - A top Thai official on Thursday  rejected U.S.
pressure on Southeast Asian nations to isolate  Burma and said Rangoon was
ready to join ASEAN along with Laos  and Cambodia. 

"ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) is a  vital mechanism
for integrating countries like Vietnam,  Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (Burma)
into the mainstream of the  Asian market economy," Thai Finance Minister
Amnuay Viravan  told a conference here on Asia's future. 

"ASEAN has been under pressure to block Myanmar's  membership," Amnuay said,
but added, "ASEAN does not believe in  intervention in our neighbours
internal affairs." 

"ASEAN believes the three countries are now prepared to  join the group and
there is no reason to discriminate (against)  anyone because of their
political ideology or political  activities," he added. 

Mounting pressure on Southeast Asian nations to isolate  Burma has put them
in a tough spot of having to choose between  backing a neighbour and risking
relations with the United  States, analysts and officials have said. 

ASEAN, which was expected to admit observer nations Burma,  Cambodia and
Laos as full members of the group the year, is  likely to have tough
deliberations later this month now that  Washington was pressuring them to
isolate Rangoon, they said. 

Washington recently announced economic sanctions on Burma  as a condemnation
of the military regime's alleged human rights  abuses and its repression of
the democracy movement led by  Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Amnuay said ASEAN members believed human rights and  democracy were
"desirable" and should be promoted by member  nations but added, "We need to
move at our own pace and in our  own political and social environments." 

A top Burmese official, meanwhile, dubbed Rangoon's entry  into ASEAN
"imminent" and lashed out at the U.S. sanctions. 

"A major power has most recently imposed economic sanctions  on Myanmar. We
all know that this decision smacks of hypocrisy  and double standards and
that sanctions will have little impact  on the Myanmar economy," said
Brigadier General Maung Maung,  secretary of the country's investment
commission. 

"Myanmar as a nation is keen for cooperation with the ASEAN  10. Its joining
ASEAN would greatly contribute to the  well-being of the ASEAN 10 as well as
the well-being of Asia as  a whole," he said, speaking at the same conference. 

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam also expressed  support for
Burma's entry into ASEAN, telling the conference  that "an enlarged ASEAN
encompassing all the Southeast Asian  nations will be beneficial to peace,
stability and cooperation  in the region and the world at large and that
Vietnam has  endorsed the early ASEAN membership of Laos, Cambodia and
Mynmar." 

ASEAN, founded in 1967 to promote regional cooperation, is  comprised of
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,  Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

REUTER 

07:58 05-15-97
************************
U.S. Sanction Does not Effect Burma
TOKYO, May 15 (Reuter) - U.S. sanctions which bar new American investment in
Burma are not affecting the country, a senior Burmese official told a
business seminar on Thursday. 

``A major power has most recently imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar
(Burma). We all know that this decision smacks of hyprocrisy and double
standards and that sanctions will have no impact on the Myanmar economy,''
said Brigadier General Maung Maung, secretary of the country's investment
commission. 

He added that Burma would not change its political and economic course as a
result of the sanctions. 

The United States imposed economic sanctions on Burma in April, banning new
investment by American firms as a condemnation of the military government's
alleged human rights abuses and its suppression of the pro-democracy
movement led by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 
************************
Burma Warms Thai Officials Keep Away from Suu Kui
ANGKOK, May 15 (Reuter) - Burma's military leaders have imposed restrictions
on visiting Thai officials warning them to stay clear of the street on which
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi lives, a Thai government official said on
Thursday. 

The Thai foreign ministry received a warning letter from Burma's State Law
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) on Wednesday, two days before premier
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was due to make an official visit to Burma, the
officials said. 

The letter urged Thai delegates travelling with Chavalit not to go near
University Avenue -- the street on which Suu Kyi lives. 

University Avenue has been barricaded around Suu Kyi's house since late last
year to prevent people from visiting the Nobel Peace laureate. 

The Thai defence attache's home is adjacent to Suu Kyi's house on University
Avenue. 

The official said the letter specifically mentioned reporters who were
travelling with Chavalit, and said it asked them not to talk to Suu Kyi or
report her movements or actions. 

``The letter has totally proven that SLORC does not care at all about
improving relations with its neighbour,'' the official told Reuters. 

``The Burmese obviously feel insecure about their own system if they are so
concerned about Suu Kyi,'' he said. 

``We know they will monitor and follow us on every movement. I know that
they followed me when I visited Rangoon but there is no need to issue an
official letter warning us, telling us where we should not go and whom we
should not contact.'' 

This is apparently the first time SLORC has sent such a warning to state
guests. 

Delegates accompanying Indonesian president Suharto on a visit in late
February did not appear to have any restrictions. 

But some foreign media who tried to follow Indonesian reporters covering
Suharto were stopped by police, detained for more than an hour and requested
to hand over their film. 

Chavalit, a general and former Thai army chief, has close ties to Burma's
generals. 

Shortly after he won last November's elections, Chavalit told reporters he
wanted to talk to Burma's military government about Rangoon's human rights
record. 

He said he wanted to tell SLORC leaders the world had changed.