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VOA : BURMA-TENSIONS (r)
Voice of America
DATE=7/31/98
BURMA-TENSIONS
STEPHANIE MANN
WASHINGTON
INTRO: THIS PAST WEEK'S STANDOFF BETWEEN BURMESE AUTHORITIES AND
OPPOSITION LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI ON A ROAD OUTSIDE RANGOON MAY
HAVE ENDED, BUT TENSIONS ARE REPORTED STILL HIGH. V-O-A'S
STEPHANIE MANN LOOKS AT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE CONTEXT OF
THE UPCOMING ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1988 BLOODY CRACKDOWN.
TEXT: FOR MUCH OF THE PAST WEEK, BURMESE MILITARY AUTHORITIES
AND LEADING OPPOSITION FIGURE AUNG SAN SUU KYI WERE ENGAGED IN A
STANDOFF AT A ROADBLOCK OUTSIDE RANGOON. SHE WANTED TO VISIT
POLITICAL SUPPORTERS IN OUTLYING PROVINCES, AND THE GOVERNMENT
WANTED HER TO RETURN HOME.
THE DIRECTOR OF ASIAN STUDIES AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, DAVID
STEINBERG, SAYS BOTH SIDES HAD REASONS FOR THEIR ACTIONS. HE
SAYS AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS WORKING FOR WHAT SHE REGARDS AS
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND HAS A CLEAR IDEA OF HER POTENTIAL ROLE,
BASED ON HER FATHER'S ROLE AS THE FOUNDER OF INDEPENDENT BURMA.
PROFESSOR STEINBERG SAYS AUNG SAN SUU KYI WAS DOING SOMETHING
THAT SHE KNEW WOULD PUT HER IN THE LIMELIGHT.
// STEINBERG ACT ONE //
AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND THE (REST OF THE) OPPOSITION HAVE
BEEN INTENTIONALLY MARGINALIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT OVER
THE YEARS SINCE THE ELECTION OF 1990. SHE HAS TRIED TO
STOP THAT MARGINALIZATION BY FIRST DECLARING THAT HER
OPPOSITION GROUP WHICH WON THE ELECTIONS SHOULD BE
SEATED BY AUGUST 21ST OF THIS YEAR. THE GOVERNMENT
CERTAINLY WILL NOT AGREE TO THAT. SO, SHE HAS TRIED
TO GET ATTENTION AND TO ELICIT GOVERNMENT RESPONSE BY
INTENTIONALLY GOING OUT AND SEEKING TO ORGANIZE HER
CONSTITUENTS IN OTHER CITIES OUTSIDE RANGOON.
// END ACT //
PROFESSOR STEINBERG SAYS THE GOVERNMENT -- FROM ITS PERSPECTIVE
-- CANNOT ALLOW AUNG SAN SUU KYI TO CONTINUE HER EFFORTS TO GET
ATTENTION AND SYMPATHY. SO, HE SAYS, AUTHORITIES HAVE FORCIBLY
TRIED TO STOP HER.
THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW WAS EXPRESSED IN A LETTER FROM
BURMA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, TIN WINN, TO THE
WASHINGTON POST NEWSPAPER DURING THE STANDOFF. AMBASSADOR TIN
WINN WROTE AUNG SAN SUU KYI HAS BEEN ACTING LIKE A PRIMA DONNA,
CHALLENGING THE GOVERNMENT AT EVERY TURN. HIS LETTER SAYS THE
GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS IT IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH A MODERN
DISCIPLINED NATION, ADDING THAT THE WELFARE OF THE NATION MUST BE
GIVEN PRECEDENCE OVER THE WELFARE OF INDIVIDUALS.
PROFESSOR DAVID STEINBERG ALSO SAYS THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT IS
ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE UNREST DURING THE UPCOMING
TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILITARY CRACKDOWN ON PRO-DEMOCRACY
DEMONSTRATIONS.
// STEINBERG ACT TWO //
AUGUST 8TH, 1988, WAS THE ORIGINAL DATE. SO, EARLY
AUGUST WILL BE A TIME WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON A
SPECIAL ALERT, AND THEY WANT TO PREVENT ANY OUTBREAK. I
THINK THEY ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN
INDONESIA. I WAS IN RANGOON WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WHEN
(FORMER PRESIDENT) SUHARTO STEPPED DOWN. AND I THINK
THAT THERE IS A CONCERN THERE THAT THE SAME THING COULD
HAPPEN IN BURMA, AND I THINK THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE EVEN
HARSHER THAN THE INDONESIANS IN TRYING TO PREVENT ANY
OUTBREAK OF DEMONSTRATIONS.
// END ACT //
MR. STEINBERG SAYS THE PEOPLE OF RANGOON REMEMBER WELL THE BLOODY
CRACKDOWN IN 1988, WHICH LEFT AT LEAST TWO THOUSAND KILLED AND
MANY MORE INJURED. SO, HE SAYS, THEY ARE NOT LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN
VIOLENT PROTESTS AT THIS TIME. NONETHELESS, HE SAYS, THE
MILITARY GOVERNMENT IS TAKING NO CHANCES. FOREIGN NEWS REPORTS
FROM BURMA SAY EXTRA SECURITY FORCES HAVE BEEN STATIONED IN THE
STREETS OF RANGOON.
THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA HAVE ASKED THE UNITED NATIONS TO
INTERVENE TO TRY TO EASE THE ESCALATING TENSIONS IN BURMA.
SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN HAS ASKED THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT TO
ALLOW A SPECIAL U-N ENVOY TO VISIT.
PROFESSOR STEINBERG, HOWEVER, DOES NOT SEE MUCH HOPE FOR U-N
INTERVENTION AT THIS TIME.
// STEINBERG ACT THREE //
THE UNITED NATIONS HAS ATTEMPTED TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE
PAST. THERE HAVE BEEN INDIVIDUALS SENT BY THE UNITED
NATIONS TO BURMA WITHOUT SUCCESS. THERE IS A SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR WHO HAS NOT EVEN BEEN ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE
COUNTRY. SO, RIGHT NOW, THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT
LOOK LIKE AN EFFECTIVE AVENUE FOR DIALOGUE WITH THE
GOVERNMENT.
// END ACT //
MR. STEINBERG SAYS SINCE BURMA WAS ADMITTED TO THE ASSOCIATION OF
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS LAST YEAR, IT MAY BE MORE PRODUCTIVE FOR
ELEMENTS WITHIN ASEAN TO TRY TO WORK WITH BURMA TO DEFUSE
TENSIONS. (SIGNED)
NEB/SMN/KL
31-Jul-98 1:21 PM EDT (1721 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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