Aid to Myanmar 'inappropriate' & M

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

Asahi Evening News
February 28, 1998

Aid to Myanmar 'inappropriate'

Washington -- The United States said Friday it would be inappropriate for
Japan to resume at this time non-humanitarian aid to Myanmar (Burma).

"We've discussed this matter with the government of Japan.  And we, for our
part, do not support the resumption of large scale aid projects to Burma at
this time," State Department deputy spokesman James Foley told reporters.

"The U.S. government continues to believe that non-humanitarian bilateral
assistance tot he government of Burma, absent significant improvements in
the human rights and narcotics situations there, is inappropriate," he added.

Foley addressed the issue in response to a question from a reporter who said
Japan had made a decision to resume aid to Myanmar, which is ruled by a
military junta.

Myanmar democracy urged

A group of Diet members Friday urged the government to exert pressure on
Myanmar (Burma) for democracy despite Tokyo's plan to resume granting
official development assistance (ODA) to the Southeast Asian country, group
members said.

Japan should clearly tell Myanmar that the resumption of ODA does not mean
an end to criticism of Yangon's (Rangoon's) suppressions of the
pro-democracy movement, said the association of lawmakers, led by former
Education Minister Takashi Kosugi of the Liberal Democratic Party.

The lawmakers said Tokyo should also declare that progress in democracy in
Myanmar is a condition for Japan's future economic cooperation with that
country./

The group made the call in a document submitted to Prime Minister Ryutaro
Hashimoto and the Foreign Ministers.



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