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NEWS - Myanmar-EU Break Ice, Thaw t



Subject: NEWS - Myanmar-EU Break Ice, Thaw to Take Time

Myanmar-EU Break Ice, Thaw to Take Time

               Reuters
               13-JUL-99

               YANGON, July 13 (Reuters) - After years of wrangling with
               military-ruled Myanmar over its democracy and human
rights
               curbs, the West has finally broken some ice by meeting
the
               country''s reticent generals. 

               The sudden change of tack by the West, represented by the
               European Union, with support from the United States,
caught
               some of Myanmar's bitter critics offguard. 

               But Myanmar watchers believe the July 6-7 talks were a
               significant initial step, with the prospect in the long
run to
               break new ground in Yangon's dealings with the West and
               the local opposition led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San
               Suu Kyi. 

               Some Yangon and Bangkok-based diplomats said the
               delegation discussed cash-strapped Myanmar's rising
               humanitarian needs. It also examined a stalemate that has
               obstructed dialogue between the military and Suu Kyi's
               National League for Democracy since her release from
               house arrest four years ago. 

               The EU, like the United States, maintains sanctions on
               Myanmar aimed at forcing the ruling State Peace and
               Development Council (SPDC) to allow greater freedoms. 

               "This is the first time an EU delegation has visited
Yangon
               officially. It seems to be a change of tactic... to make
a more
               friendly approach," said a diplomat who met government
               officials and Suu Kyi last week in Yangon. 

               "It's difficult to predict how things will go in Myanmar
as
               usually changes never happen quickly in that country. So
the
               EU-Myanmar talks must be seen in that light." 

               The middle-level EU delegation met protagonists Suu Kyi
               and the powerful intelligence chief Lieutenant-General
Khin
               Nyunt. 

               The EU's primary objective in holding the meeting with
               Myanmar's military rulers was to improve recently deeply
               soured ties between both sides, EU officials have said. 

               The Myanmar issue has dogged EU relations with the
               Association of Southeast Asian Nations since Yangon
joined
               the group two years ago. The EU bans senior Yangon
               officials from its borders, a restriction that forced
cancellation
               of a bloc-to-bloc ministerial meeting earlier this year. 

               Another diplomat said the EU had changed its tack on
               Myanmar because it believed humanitarian aid could move
               the generals into sparking some internal political
change. 

               "We have to wait and see if there will be some positive
               results from these talks. The focus will be on
humanitarian
               cooperation first," the diplomat said. 

               The SPDC has so far refused to hold a dialogue with Suu
               Kyi and curbed her activities. It has said that, for
talks to
               begin, the NLD must first drop its demand for the
convening
               of a People's Parliament of elected representatives from
a
               1990 election the NLD swept but the military ignored. 

               The NLD recently waved an olive branch by seeking lower
               level talks as a first step leading to a summit at which
Suu
               Kyi would be present. The SPDC has spurned the request
               so far. 

               NLD vice chairman Tin Oo told Reuters last week that the
               EU delegation's visit was a positive step. Although the
talks
               were initial, any such movement was welcome, he said. 

               Analysts said the EU would now have to hold more rounds
of
               bilateral talks within its own grouping before moving
forward
               to more substantial dealings with Myanmar. That could
take
               time. 

               As for the SPDC, analysts said the future hinges on how
well
               it can weather severe economic pressures, including a
sharp
               cut in the flow of investment into the country in the
past year
               amid the Asian financial crisis. 

               Myanmar has precarious financial reserves, just enough to
               finance two months of imports, according to the central
bank.
               Myanmar also wants World Bank and International Monetary
               Fund assistance to help it beat tough economic times. 

               If economic needs become dire, then the chances of some
               softening and minor concession granting on the political
front
               by the generals could occur, analysts said. 

               But a senior military officer said: "We don't want
outsiders,
               especially the West to dictate to us. We are not ready
yet to
               practise Western style democracy. But we have enough food
               to feed our people and can withstand the stumbling blocks
               placed on us." 

               Despite the hardline talk, government officials,
including
               Foreign Minister Win Aung, see the EU initiative taken
this
               time with Myanmar as ground-breaking. 

               "They have to go back and hold further discussions among
               themselves. Let's see what the EU will come up with,"
said
               the senior military official.