Reuters-EU delegation meets Myanmar

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Subject: Reuters-EU delegation meets Myanmar democracy leader 

EU delegation meets Myanmar democracy leader
08:23 a.m. Jul 07, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, July 7 (Reuters) - A European Union delegation met Myanmar's
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic leaders on Wednesday as
part of a mission to promote human rights and a dialogue between the
opposition and ruling military.

The mid-ranking delegation, which had met the powerful military intelligence
chief on Tuesday, spoke with leaders of four ethnic political groups,
including the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD).

SNLD leader Khun Tun Oo told Reuters after the meeting that he favoured
talks between the opposition and the ruling State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC).

``We don't want to blame each other for what is happening at the moment, we
just want to have talks,'' he said. ``It depends of the response of the
SPDC.''

``I sense the EU is very serious about the findings of this delegation. I
think it will have a very strong impact on the EU's future attitude toward's
Myanmar.''

Myanmar's state media have not mentioned the visit and diplomats from the
European Union, which has sharply criticised the military for its human
rights record and failure to democratise, have remained tight lipped.

Diplomats said the delegation met 1991 Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi in the
afternoon at the residence of the British ambassador but details of the
talks did not emerge.

On Tuesday, the delegation met intelligence chief Lieutenant-General Khin
Nyunt, who is regarded as the most powerful figure in the ruling military
council.

Khun Tun Oo said the delegation had told him its role was fact-finding and
was not acting as an intermediary.

An EU ambassador said on Tuesday the main aim of the mission was to try to
establish a dialogue with the government in order to promote human rights
and democratisation.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won Myanmar's last election in 1990
by a landslide but the military ignored the result. Its subsequent
harassment of the opposition, including the arrest and detention of hundreds
of its members, led the European Union to bar Myanmar officials from its
borders.

This has strained Europe's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, which Myanmar joined in 1997. This year, a scheduled meeting of the
two blocs in Germany was cancelled.
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