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UN/BURMA



Paris, Thursday, July 29, 1999
UN Burma Mission Set for September 

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By Michael Richardson International Herald Tribune
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SINGAPORE - Burma will definitely allow a long-delayed visit by the United
Nations to take place in September, Foreign Minister Win Aung said Wednesday.
The mission, to be led by Alvaro de Soto, a UN assistant secretary-general,
is backed by the United States, the European Union and other countries. They
hope it will lead to a process of democratic change in Burma, which has been
effectively run by the military for more than a decade.

But U Win Aung appeared to rule out a government decision to reopen talks
with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace laureate, and the opposition
party she heads, the National League for Democracy.

He was speaking at the end of a meeting between foreign ministers of the
Association of South East Asian Nations and their counterparts from the
European Union, the United States and eight other countries.

U Win Aung said that before dialogue could start, ''We need to have good
common ground.'' He accused the National League for Democracy of adopting a
policy of ''confrontation'' toward the government. 

Still, Western officials welcomed Rangoon's approval of the UN visit as a
potential advance toward improved relations with Burma.

''I would not describe it as a breakthrough,'' said Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer of Australia. ''But I think it's a good step forward.''



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