Japan says mulling WTO action on Ma

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Subject: Japan says mulling WTO action on Massachusetts law

Japan says mulling WTO action on Massachusetts law

TOKYO, July 10 (Reuter) - Japan may file a complaint with the World 
Trade Organisation (WTO) against a U.S. state of Massachusetts law which 
boycotts firms that trade with Burma, a senior Trade Ministry official 
said on Thursday. 

``The Massachusetts law is essentially against the spirit of the WTO,'' 
Vice Minister of International Trade and Industry Tsutomu Makino told a 
news conference. 

The European Union (EU) filed a complaint with the WTO protesting the 
law in late June. 

Makino said Japan was considering what measures it could take, including 
steps under WTO rules. ``We will take action in due course,'' he said. 

Citing severe repression by its ruling military junta, the Massachusetts 
law went into effect in January and several U.S. cities have passed 
selective purchasing laws against firms doing business in Burma. 

In mid- May, the U.S. government imposed economic sanctions on Rangoon. 

Democratic Congressman from the state wrote letters to the the EU and 
Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto in February warning them not 
to intimidate Massachusetts into changing the standards it has 
established for doing business with the state government. 



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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