Private U.S. Mission Meets Burma Mi

[FreeBurma@xxxxxxx]

RANGOON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A private U.S. delegation met senior officials of
Burma's military government on Thursday in what analysts said was a bid to
persuade them to open a dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The four-member delegation, headed by former U.S. ambassador to Japan and the
Philippines Michael Armacost, met with Secretary General One of the State Law
and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) Khin Nyint for two hours, government
officials said. 

No official comment on the progress or content of the talks was available but
local political analysts said the delegation was seeking to persuade the
SLORC and Aung San Suu Kyi to enter into talks. 

The delegation met Suu Kyi at her Rangoon residence on Wednesday, members of
her National League for Democracy (NLD) party said. 

Kent Wiedemann, charge d'affairs of the U.S. embassy in Rangoon, also
attended that meeting, they said. 

The NLD won a landslide election victory in 1990, which was never recognised
by the SLORC. 

The SLORC has repeatedly ignored Suu Kyi's requests for talks but has
recently met with some other senior NLD members. 
 ^REUTERS@ 

11:05 10-16-97