BURMA:Financial Times

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 Financial Times 
 
 TUESDAY JULY 28 1998  
 Asia-Pacific   

BURMA: Albright sees danger of political explosion
By Justin Marozzi in Manila and William Barnes in Bangkok
Madeleine Albright, the US secretary of state, yesterday warned of a
political "explosion" in Burma if there was no dialogue between the
democratic opposition and the ruling junta.


She was "gravely concerned" about the health of Aung San Suu Kyi, the
Burmese opposition leader, who yesterday was set to endure a fourth night in
her car after being stopped at a police roadblock some 60km outside Rangoon,
the capital. The US would hold the State Peace and Development Council, the
junta, responsible for her welfare, Mrs Albright said.


In a statement the junta said Mrs Albright's comments - made at the annual
meeting of the Association of South-east Asia Nations (Asean) regional forum
- were "a typical way of a sole superpower carrying out a witch hunt and
acting as a judge, jury and executioner at the same time to justify her own
unfair activities".


Speaking to foreign ministers from Asia's leading security forum. Mrs
Albright said: "With each passing day the likelihood of a social breakdown -
or explosion - that would undermine regional stability grows higher; the
likelihood that a future government will be able to tackle Burma's problems
smaller." She added: "This is a moment of truth and of urgency for Burma and
for all of us concerned about its fate."


Asean, which admitted Burma as a member last year, has been accused of
treating the junta too softly.


Twice this month Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize-winner, has been barred
from meeting members of her National League for Democracy outside Rangoon.


This time she was sitting in her car refusing to speak to security
officials, the junta said. But NLD members said she was merely insisting on
her legal right to meet her party's elected MPs in Bassein, west of the capital.


U Ohn Gyaw, Burma's foreign minister who has been under constant pressure
from within and outside Asean during the Manila meetings, said his
government had "worked very hard to achieve unity and national
reconsolidation", bringing 17 armed groups into the legal fold.


Yesterday, the regional forum's chairman's statement, written by Domingo
Siazon, the Philippine foreign secretary, made no mention of Burma. Asked
whether he welcomed Ms Albright's remarks on Burma, Mr Siazon said: "I have
taken note of her comments."


The forum includes the nine members of Asean and 12 other countries
including the US, EU, Russia, Japan, and China.