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BURMA/MEETING
DATE=1/25/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-244628
TITLE=BURMA / MEETING (L)
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=BANGKOK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
// REISSUING TO CORRECT MONTH OF ASEAN / E-U MEETING (MARCH) IN
INTRO//
INTRO: A SCHEDULED MEETING MONDAY BETWEEN OFFICIALS OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS, OR ASEAN, AND THE
EUROPEAN UNION HAS BEEN CALLED OFF BECAUSE OF DIFFERENCES OVER
BURMA. HOWEVER, E-U OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE CONFIDENT THE
IMPASSE CAN BE RESOLVED IN TIME FOR AN ASEAN / E-U FOREIGN
MINISTERS' MEETING IN GERMANY IN MARCH. VOA CORRESPONDENT GARY
THOMAS REPORTS FROM BANGKOK.
TEXT: EUROPEAN UNION OFFICIALS HERE ARE DOWNPLAYING THE SURPRISE
CANCELLATION OF THE 13TH MEETING OF THE ASEAN / E-U JOINT
COOPERATION COMMITTEE. THE MEETING, WHICH WAS TO HAVE OPENED IN
BANGKOK MONDAY, WAS CALLED OFF AT THE LAST MINUTE, BECAUSE OF A
SIMMERING DISPUTE OVER BURMA'S STATUS IN THE E-U / ASEAN
RELATIONSHIP. IT WAS THE SECOND POSTPONEMENT OF THE MEETING,
WHICH DEALS WITH SUCH ISSUES AS TRADE, ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS,
AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE DISPUTE CENTERS ON HOW BURMA IS TO TAKE ITS PLACE IN E-U /
ASEAN DIALOGUES SINCE ACHIEVING FULL MEMBERSHIP IN ASEAN IN
MID-1997. THE E-U HAS IMPOSED SANCTIONS ON BURMA FOR ITS HARSH
REPRESSION OF THE PRO-DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT AND REFUSES TO SIT DOWN
WITH BURMESE OFFICIALS.
HERMANN ERATH, GERMANY'S AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND, SAYS HE IS
CONFIDENT A FORMULA CAN BE REACHED TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE OVER
HOW TO SEAT BURMA. GERMANY CURRENTLY HOLDS THE PRESIDENCY OF THE
E-U AND AMBASSADOR ERATH SAYS HE EXPECTS THE ISSUE TO BE WORKED
OUT IN TIME FOR AN E-U / ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING IN
BERLIN IN MARCH.
// ERATH ACT //
I THINK THAT BOTH SIDES REGRET THAT THE (COMMITTEE) MEETING
CANNOT TAKE PLACE, BUT IT'S NOT A BIG ISSUE WHICH WILL DISTURB
OUR RELATIONS, YOU KNOW. WE ARE ALL NOW LOOKING TOWARDS THE
MINISTERIAL MEETING, WHICH IS OF MUCH GREATER IMPORTANCE. AND I
AM QUITE OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WILL FIND A FORMULA WHICH WILL
GUARANTEE THAT THIS MEETING TAKES PLACE BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO
TAKE PLACE AND ALL MEMBERS AGREE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT
MEETING.
// END ACT //
A FORMULA ALLOWING BURMA'S PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMITTEE MEETING
WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN AGREED TO LAST YEAR. ONE E-U OFFICIAL,
WHO ASKED NOT TO BE NAMED, SAID MONDAY THAT BOTH SIDES WERE
SURPRISED TO DISCOVER SEVERAL DAYS AGO THAT THEY EACH HAD
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF WHAT THE AGREEMENT ENTAILED. HE
SAID THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO RESOLVE THE IMPASSE IN TIME FOR
MONDAY'S SCHEDULED MEETING.
/// REST OPT /// MEANWHILE, BURMESE OFFICIAL MEDIA SAY A NUMBER
OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY WERE ARRESTED
LAST MONTH FOR DISTRIBUTING ANTI-GOVERNMENT LEAFLETS IN THE TOWN
OF YAY, SOME 240 KILOMETERS FROM RANGOON. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE ARRESTED WAS NOT DISCLOSED, NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED
PHOTOGRAPHS OF 11 ACTIVISTS. (SIGNED)
NEB/GPT/FC
25-Jan-99 7:56 AM EST (1256 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.