US/ASEAN/BURMA

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

DATE=6/12/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-215651
TITLE=U-S/ASEAN/BURMA (L-O)
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  A GROUP OF U-S AMBASSADORS HAS ENDED AN ANNUAL TOUR OF 
THE UNITED STATES AIMED AT ENCOURAGING MORE U-S INVESTMENT IN 
SOUTHEAST ASIA.  V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS, A FINAL NEWS 
CONFERENCE WAS DOMINATED BY QUESTIONS ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES 
-- PARTICULARLY THE DECISION BY THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST 
ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) TO ADMIT MILITARY-RULED BURMA AS ONE OF 
THREE NEW MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATION:

TEXT:  WASHINGTON WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN EFFORTS TO PERSUADE  
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS TO DELAY MEMBERSHIP FOR BURMA BECAUSE OF 
RANGOON'S POOR HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD, AND REPRESSION OF THE 
COUNTRY'S PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.

BURMA, CAMBODIA AND LAOS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE ADMITTED IN JULY 
JUST BEFORE ANNUAL ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETINGS MARKING THE 
ORGANIZATION'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY.

THE UNITED STATES WILL SOON FIND ITSELF DEALING WITH AN ASEAN 
THAT INCLUDES A MILITARY GOVERNMENT ON WHICH WASHINGTON HAS 
IMPOSED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, AND WHICH -- WHEN IT JOINS -- WILL BE
ASEAN'S MOST AUTHORITARIAN MEMBER.

THE FIRST QUESTION AT A WASHINGTON NEWS CONFERENCE WAS ABOUT 
BURMA.  WILLIAM ITOH, U-S AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND, SAID THE UNITED
STATES AND ASEAN HAVE AGREED TO DISAGREE ABOUT BURMA -- FINDING 
COMMON GROUND ON GOALS BUT DIFFERENCES ON HOW TO ACHIEVE THEM:

                        /// ITOH ACT ///

         WE HAVE POINTED OUT THAT WE HAVE FELT IN SOME WAYS THAT 
         INCORPORATION OF BURMA WOULD REFLECT IN A NEGATIVE WAY 
         ON ASEAN AND IT WOULD ALSO TEND TO SUGGEST THAT ASEAN 
         WAS SOMEHOW ENDORSING OR APPROVING THE PRACTICES OF THE 
         AUTHORITIES IN BURMA. 

                        /// ITOH ACT ///

SOUTHEAST ASIAN LEADERS SAY MEMBERSHIP FOR BURMA WILL GIVE ASEAN 
MORE FLEXIBILITY IN TRYING TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE -- DESPITE ASEAN
RULES ABOUT NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS.  BUT MANY 
OBSERVERS SAY THAT BY ACCEPTING BURMA AT THIS TIME, ASEAN TAKES 
ON A BURDEN THAT COULD LEAD TO DIVISION AND ENCOURAGE MORE 
REPRESSION BY BURMA'S MILITARY. 

AMBASSADOR ITOH SAID WASHINGTON RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF 
"MOVING ON," BUT WILL INSIST ON CANDID DIALOGUE ABOUT BURMA AND 
OTHER ISSUES.

U-S AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA, J. STAPLETON ROY, SAYS THE RECENT 
BAN ON NEW U-S INVESTMENT IN BURMA WILL NOT ITSELF CAUSE PROBLEMS
WITH ASEAN.  WHAT IS IMPORTANT, HE SAYS, IS MOVEMENT TOWARD 
RESOLVING BURMA'S POLITICAL IMPASSE:

                         /// ROY ACT ///

         BOTH OF US (U-S AND ASEAN) WANT TO HAVE BURMA MOVE IN 
         THE DIRECTION WHICH RESULTS IN MORE REPRESENTATIVE 
         GOVERNMENT AND MORE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ITS OWN PEOPLE. 
         SO THE IMPORTANT THING IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ASEAN IS
         TO ENSURE THAT IF THERE IS AN IMPACT OF THE ENTRY OF NEW
         MEMBERS, IT DOESN'T UNDERCUT THE ABILITY OF THE U-S AND 
         ASEAN TO WORK COOPERATIVELY TOWARD A COMMON GOAL.

                         /// END ACT ///

THE AMBASSADORS  ALSO FACED OTHER QUESTIONS -- COVERING U-S 
POLICY TOWARD INDONESIA, THE SITUATION IN EAST TIMOR -- AND THE 
STATE OF RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM.

                        /// REST OPT ///

DESAIX ANDERSON -- DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION AT THE U-S EMBASSY IN 
HANOI -- SAID WASHINGTON SEEKS A FULLY NORMALIZED ECONOMIC 
RELATIONSHIP WITH VIETNAM.  BUT HE SAYS THE SPEED WITH WHICH 
AGREEMENT IS REACHED IS NOW UP TO HANOI:

                  /// OPTIONAL ANDERSON ACT ///

         WE HAVE PRESENTED A DRAFT TRADE AGREEMENT.  IT IS A 
         COMPREHENSIVE TRADE AGREEMENT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE 
         SURE WE GET IT RIGHT BEFORE WE LAUNCH AN INTENSIFIED 
         ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP. AND WE ARE NOW WAITING THE 
         RESPONSE FROM THE VIETNAMESE SIDE TO OUR APPROACH.

                    /// END ACT, END OPT ///

MR. ANDERSON SAID SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT WILL 
DISCUSS THE FULL RANGE OF RELATIONS WHEN SHE VISITS HANOI.  HE 
SAID THE QUESTION OF FUTURE EXPANDED MILITARY TO MILITARY TIES IS
PART OF THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP, BUT IS NOT A PRIORITY AT THIS 
TIME COMPARED WITH TRADE AND ONGOING EFFORTS TO ACCOUNT FOR 
AMERICANS MISSING OR UNACCOUNTED FOR FROM THE VIETNAM WAR. 
(SIGNED)



NEB/DAR/PT