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Bangkok Post News (28-7-99)





<bold>EU vows to exclude Burma

</bold>Efforts being made to resume meetings between two groups 

Singapore, Bangkok Post, AP 

Despite recent talks with Burma, the European Union remained firm
yesterday to exclude Rangoon but include Cambodia and Laos from its
co-operation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. . 


But Asean and the EU were working on resuming the 13th Asean-EU
ministerial meeting postponed since last April as the German host could
not break the EU sanctions on a visa ban for Burmese officials and
Asean's refusal to hold the meeting without Burmese participation,
sources said. 


Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said after meeting with the EU
relegation, headed by Finnish Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen, that the EU
side recognised the importance of continuing a ministerial meeting
between the two groups. 


The EU has stalled its co-operation meeting with Asean in a Protest to
Burma's poor human rights records. 


Concerning the Asean-EU ministerial meeting, an Asean country might host
the meeting, replacing the EU turn to host so that the political meeting
could be continued, sources noted. 


Ms Halonen said at the press conference that the EU council of foreign
ministers would discuss Burma situations when they meet in September. 


Manuel Marin, acting president of he European Commission to the, Post-
Ministerial Conferences, said the EU had a common position to proceed
with Laos's and Cambodia's admission to the 1984 co-operation agreement,
and the September meeting of the EU council will decide on the matter so
hat EU work programmes could be implemented with all Asean members except
Burma. 


It was a matter, of procedure and there should be no problem for the two
countries to become signatories to the agreement and enjoy full benefits
from the work programme the grouping has co-operated with its oldest
dialogue partner, Thai sources added. 


Ms Halonen earlier said in her statement that EU's meaningful political
dialogue with Burma would not be held unless Burmese authorities show
progress and willingness to deal with the issues of human rights and
dernocratic development. 


Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said yesterday that
military-ruled Burma would remain an "economic disaster" as long as it
continues to repress human rights. 



"Just as democracy fosters prosperity, so repression in Burma has
generated economic disaster," Mrs Albright told a regional security
conference of foreign ministers from the Asia- Pacific, Europe and
Canada. 


Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung had earlier complained in the same
meeting about countries that use the annual Southeast Asian security
talks as a political forum to interfere with others' internal affairs. He
did not name anyone. 


Mrs Albright has been persistent in criticising Burma's -rights abuses
and participation in drug smuggling. 


No consensus was reached on Burma's poor human rights record when the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum concluded its
annual meeting on Monday. 


But in follow-up meetings yesterday, Australian Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer and European Union President Ms Halonen joined Mrs
Albright in calling on Burma to end repression and start dialogue with
the opposition. 


The United States, Australia, Russia, China, Japan and others are called
"dialogue partners". 


Other Asean member countries have called for equal treatment of Burma,
which remains under US and European sanctions. 


Thailand's deputy foreign minister on Monday rejected a request from
Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi that Asean use its political clout to
push Burma toward democracy.