Reuters-Myanmar defends right to at

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar defends right to attend ASEAN-EU meeting

Myanmar defends right to attend ASEAN-EU meeting
04:41 a.m. Mar 14, 1999 Eastern
MANILA, March 14 (Reuters) - Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung on Sunday
defended his country's right to attend a meeting between ASEAN and the
European Union and said ASEAN countries should stick together.

But Win Aung told reporters in Manila he was not saying Myanmar would insist
on taking part in the meeting between foreign ministers of the EU and the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be held later this month
in Berlin.

Win arrived in the Philippines for a three-day visit in what political
analysts in Yangon said was part of Myanmar's effort to lobby for support
for its inclusion in the meeting.

The EU objects to Myanmar's participation because of Yangon's human rights
record.

``ASEAN is a bloc of nations, isn't it? Why should some country be left
outside of the ASEAN fold. ASEAN is ASEAN. ASEAN will not be complete
without a member participating,'' Win Aung said on arrival.

Asked if Myanmar would insist on attending, Win Aung said: ``We cannot say
we will insist. That's not insistence. That's stating a position. Our
position is well known.''

Win Aung, who is touring ASEAN capitals, said he had been discussing matters
regarding ASEAN unity in his trip.

EU sanctions against Myanmar, which joined ASEAN in 1997, ban high level
meetings with its officials because of the EU's disapproval of that
country's human rights record.

ASEAN has said all its ministers should attend or none at all and the
dispute has threatened the holding of the meeting.

The ASEAN includes the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos.

The ASEAN-EU meeting is supposed to take place every two years to discuss
joint coooperation.

>From Manila, Win Aung will visit Vietnam and Laos.