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        ASEAN POSTPONES CAMBODIA'S ENTRY 
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SINGAPORE, JULY 10

Association   of  South-East  Asian  Nations(Asean)leaders,
perturbed  over the bloody  factional fighting in Cambodia,
today  decided  to defer  its  admission into  the grouping
indefinitely,    and   offered  to   help  end   the  feud.

The  Asean Foreign  Ministers,  in an  emergency meeting in
Kuala Lumpur,  decided to keep Cambodia out of the powerful
regional  trade bloc which was  to admit three new members,
including  Myanmar and Laos,  by this monthend,  Malaysia's
State-run Bernama news agency said.

The  Malaysian Foreign Minister,  Mr.  Abdullah Asean still
recognised   Prince  Norodom  Ranariddh  as  Co-Premier  of
Cambodia,  but Mr.  Hun Sen,  talking to reporters in Phnom
Penh,   asked Asean  countries to  "please stay  out of our
internal business".

Foreign  Ministers  of  Brunei,  Indonesia,  Malaysia,  the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam had decided on
May  31  to  admit  the  three  countries  into  the  Asean
simultaneously  with  the  target  date  set  as  July  23.

The  Indonesian Foreign Minister, Minister, Mr. Ali Alatas,
told  his Asean counterparts that Phnom Penh could become a
member  in December at the informal summit meeting of Asean
leaders, Bernama, quoting sources, said.

However,   it added  that the  Thai Foreign  Minister,  Mr.
Prachuab  Chaiyasan,  was against  setting any target date.

Asean  Ministers also offered  to help end  the bloody feud
saying  they stand ready to contribute their efforts to the
peaceful resolution of the Cambodian situation.

Today's decision,  which came after a bloody powergrab last
weekend  by the Second Prime Minister,  Mr.  Hun Sen,  will
make  Cambodia  the only  country in  the region  to remain
outside  the influential trading  bloc which is celebrating
its 30th founding year.

Cambodia has been teetering on the brink of a renewed civil
war  since forces loyal to Mr.   Hun Sen expelled his rival
coalition  partner,   Prince Norodom  Ranariddh's loyalists
from Phnom Penh in fighting that continues to rage in parts
of the countryside.

Mr.   Hun  Sen,  the  second  Prime Minister  in Cambodia's
two-headed   Government  and  the  defacto  leader  of  the
Cambodian People's Party, has declared he no longer regards
Prince Ranariddh as first Prime Minister and has called for
his  replacement as leader of the Royalist Funcinpec Party.

Yesterday,   Mr.  Hun  Sen  rejected  Asean  entreaties  to
negotiate  with  Prince  Ranariddh and  urged  it  to admit
Cambodia  into the seven-member  organisation as scheduled.

Japanese  news agency Kyodo quoted Cambodia's ambassador to
the  United  Nations,  Prince  Sisowath  Sirirath,  who  is
loyalto Ranariddh's Funcinpec,  as telling reporters in New
York  last evening that Asean should do nothing to make the
coup a "fait accompli".

               (PTI)



      ==============================================
      SUU KYI SEES WORSENING OF SITUATION IN MYANMAR
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BANGKOK, JULY 10:

Myanmar's  democracy leader,  Ms.  Aung San Suu Kyi,  today
said   repression  had  increased  and  the  political  and
economic  situation in her country  had worsened in the two
years   since   she   was  released   from   house  arrest.

"I'd  have to say that repression has increased in the past
two  years,"  Ms.  Suu  Kyi  told  Reuter  in  a  telephone
interview on the second anniversary of her release from six
years   of  house  arrest.   "The  economic  situation  has
certainly not improved,  and neither has political freedom"
she  said in the brief interview  that was cut off when the
telephone went dead.

                                   (REUTER)

                    THE HINDU, FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1997

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