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AFP-Brainless animal's speech



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Friday, November 19 6:17 PM SGT=20
Myanmar praises Australia on rights body
YANGON, Nov 19 (AFP) -=20
Myanmar says "fruitful" talks are taking place on Australia's bid to set =
up a human rights commission here in an initiative condemned by =
pro-democracy activists.

In a major policy speech, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, head of =
military intelligence and a leading member of the junta, denied his =
country was guilty of human rights abuses.

He said in remarks published by the official press Friday that Myanmar =
had been holding "fruitful and meaningful" talks with Australia on its =
plan to set up a commission.

"Allow me to state that Myanmar does not commit abuses," he told an =
invited audience at the end of a diplomacy course here.

Australia's proposal has stirred the ire of many foreign campaigners and =
opponents of Myanmar's military rulers.

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was angered Australia thought it =
could work with the junta to improve human rights.

"It's a bit like asking the fox to look after the chicken," she told AFP =
in August.

Her criticisms followed a visit by the head of the Australian Human =
Rights Commission, Chris Sidoti, to Myanmar earlier this year.

Australia has defended the plan as a means of engaging the junta, which =
is accused of perpetrating forced labour, rape and torture, and other =
human rights violations.

In his remarks, carried by major newspapers here, the general claimed no =
death sentences had been carried out since 1988, when the current junta =
seized power, and pointed to Myanmar's decision to allow the Red Cross =
to visit its prisons as proof of its innocence.

Khin Nyunt said the military had "no desire whatsoever to hold power for =
a long time ... once the constitution has emerged, there must be a =
transfer of power to the constitutional government."

Opponents of the junta ridicule this stand, saying a convention is =
dragging its feet on drafting a new constitution for Myanmar, which is =
anyway specifically designed to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi from power.

They suspect the military will try to establish state apparatus similar =
to that of Suharto-era Indonesia when the army kept a tight grip on =
power.

Khin Nyunt also advised opponents of his regime not to be swayed by =
"negative images" of the country. He did not refer to Aung San Suu Kyi =
by name but she is the constant target of attacks by the military and =
the official press.

Government should "give priority to the entire population of 48 million, =
rather than putting emphasis on one individual or one organisation," he =
said.

His remarks were published a week after it was revealed the World Bank =
had advised Myanmar sweeping political reform was vital if it was to =
reinvigorate the struggling economy.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide =
victory in a general election in 1990 but the military has refused to =
relinquish power.


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Friday, November 19</B> 6:17 PM SGT=20
<H2>Myanmar praises Australia on rights body</H2>YANGON, Nov 19 (AFP) -=20
<P>Myanmar says "fruitful" talks are taking place on Australia's bid to =
set up a=20
human rights commission here in an initiative condemned by pro-democracy =

activists.</P>
<P>In a major policy speech, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, head of =
military=20
intelligence and a leading member of the junta, denied his country was =
guilty of=20
human rights abuses.</P>
<P>He said in remarks published by the official press Friday that =
Myanmar had=20
been holding "fruitful and meaningful" talks with Australia on its plan =
to set=20
up a commission.</P>
<P>"Allow me to state that Myanmar does not commit abuses," he told an =
invited=20
audience at the end of a diplomacy course here.</P>
<P>Australia's proposal has stirred the ire of many foreign campaigners =
and=20
opponents of Myanmar's military rulers.</P>
<P>Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was angered Australia thought =
it could=20
work with the junta to improve human rights.</P>
<P>"It's a bit like asking the fox to look after the chicken," she told =
AFP in=20
August.</P>
<P>Her criticisms followed a visit by the head of the Australian Human =
Rights=20
Commission, Chris Sidoti, to Myanmar earlier this year.</P>
<P>Australia has defended the plan as a means of engaging the junta, =
which is=20
accused of perpetrating forced labour, rape and torture, and other human =
rights=20
violations.</P>
<P>In his remarks, carried by major newspapers here, the general claimed =
no=20
death sentences had been carried out since 1988, when the current junta =
seized=20
power, and pointed to Myanmar's decision to allow the Red Cross to visit =
its=20
prisons as proof of its innocence.</P>
<P>Khin Nyunt said the military had "no desire whatsoever to hold power =
for a=20
long time ... once the constitution has emerged, there must be a =
transfer of=20
power to the constitutional government."</P>
<P>Opponents of the junta ridicule this stand, saying a convention is =
dragging=20
its feet on drafting a new constitution for Myanmar, which is anyway=20
specifically designed to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi from power.</P>
<P>They suspect the military will try to establish state apparatus =
similar to=20
that of Suharto-era Indonesia when the army kept a tight grip on =
power.</P>
<P>Khin Nyunt also advised opponents of his regime not to be swayed by =
"negative=20
images" of the country. He did not refer to Aung San Suu Kyi by name but =
she is=20
the constant target of attacks by the military and the official =
press.</P>
<P>Government should "give priority to the entire population of 48 =
million,=20
rather than putting emphasis on one individual or one organisation," he=20
said.</P>
<P>His remarks were published a week after it was revealed the World =
Bank had=20
advised Myanmar sweeping political reform was vital if it was to =
reinvigorate=20
the struggling economy.</P>
<P>Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a =
landslide=20
victory in a general election in 1990 but the military has refused to =
relinquish=20
power.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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