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Reuters-INTERVIEW-Sanctions good fo



Subject: Reuters-INTERVIEW-Sanctions good for Myanmar, not China 

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INTERVIEW-Sanctions good for Myanmar, not China=20
03:05 a.m. Dec 17, 1999 Eastern=20
By David Brunnstrom=20

BANGKOK, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Nobel prize winning economist Amartya Sen =
says economic sanctions are probably a good way to push military-ruled =
Myanmar to democracy, but doubts their effectiveness in China.=20

``It's a difficult issue as to which way it works,'' the 1998 Nobel =
laureate told Reuters in an interview. ``I think it probably can be =
quite effective against Burma (Myanmar). Whether it can be equally =
effective against China, I don't know.=20

``If you are dealing with a country which is as large and has such a =
well-developed philosophy as China has, chances are that sanctions =
probably won't be that effective.=20

``Burma, on the other hand, where the situation is much more marginal =
and they are much more dependent on the world market and indeed world =
goodwill, I think it may be much more effective.''=20

Washington imposed economic sanctions barring U.S. investment in Myanmar =
in 1997 for its failure to democratise and rights abuses. The European =
Union bars visits by top Myanmar officials.=20

Washington has recently imposed fresh economic sanctions on China, =
including restrictions on certain high technology transfers, as a =
punishment for alleged religious persecution.=20

Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for =
Democracy won the country's last election in 1990 but was never allowed =
to govern, has called for more countries to impose sanctions and =
criticised Asian nations for pursuing a policy of engagement with the =
generals.=20

Suu Kyi is the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate.=20

Sen, from India, and the first Asian ever to win the economics prize, =
said decisions on whether to impose sanctions had to be based on whether =
or not they would be effective.=20

SANCTIONS SHOULD NOT BE USED AS PUNISHMENT=20

``I've never believed in punishments...I don't think punishment should =
be given on grounds that somebody deserves it. It has to be that it will =
do some good in the future.=20

In a country like Myanmar, where there was a lot of discontent and a =
well-developed opposition movement ``pressure may well be effective,'' =
he said. However, he added:=20

``Ultimately, I don't think other countries can give you democracy. It =
has to come from inside the country.''=20

China was far less susceptible to pressure, he said.=20

``China is a very large country and in many ways a very advanced economy =
and very self-dependent. It's not easy to pressure around and it =
strongly resents being pressured around.=20

``Also, the Chinese economy, unlike the Burmese has on the whole been =
very successful. It's not like the country's seething with rebellion, so =
I don't really think that by putting on sanctions you will make =
opposition groups come out and be more successful. I don't thing that's =
likely to happen.''=20

Sen said he was sceptical about China's line that increased local =
democracy would bring overall democracy.=20

``But it's not entirely dismissable. There are voices within their =
administration which would like to see a more democratic structure, so =
it's a question of whether sanctions will strengthen rather than weaken =
it.=20

``So China is a much more difficult case than South Africa was earlier =
or Burma is right now.''=20

Sen said China was one of the most successful cases of development in =
the world, although it's lack of democracy was ``a great defect that =
they have to cure.''=20

``I think foreign investment in Burma is a bad thing because I think it =
bolsters the regime and because the regime doesn't have anything like =
the positive record China has. China has had a lot of success and Burma =
has always had very little success.''=20





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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT =
size=3D+1><STRONG>INTERVIEW-Sanctions good for=20
Myanmar, not China</STRONG></FONT> <BR>03:05 a.m. Dec 17, 1999 Eastern=20
<P><STRONG>By David Brunnstrom</STRONG>=20
<P>BANGKOK, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Nobel prize winning economist Amartya Sen =
says=20
economic sanctions are probably a good way to push military-ruled =
Myanmar to=20
democracy, but doubts their effectiveness in China.=20
<P>``It's a difficult issue as to which way it works,'' the 1998 Nobel =
laureate=20
told Reuters in an interview. ``I think it probably can be quite =
effective=20
against Burma (Myanmar). Whether it can be equally effective against =
China, I=20
don't know.=20
<P>``If you are dealing with a country which is as large and has such a=20
well-developed philosophy as China has, chances are that sanctions =
probably=20
won't be that effective.=20
<P>``Burma, on the other hand, where the situation is much more marginal =
and=20
they are much more dependent on the world market and indeed world =
goodwill, I=20
think it may be much more effective.''=20
<P>Washington imposed economic sanctions barring U.S. investment in =
Myanmar in=20
1997 for its failure to democratise and rights abuses. The European =
Union bars=20
visits by top Myanmar officials.=20
<P>Washington has recently imposed fresh economic sanctions on China, =
including=20
restrictions on certain high technology transfers, as a punishment for =
alleged=20
religious persecution.=20
<P>Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League =
for=20
Democracy won the country's last election in 1990 but was never allowed =
to=20
govern, has called for more countries to impose sanctions and criticised =
Asian=20
nations for pursuing a policy of engagement with the generals.=20
<P>Suu Kyi is the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate.=20
<P>Sen, from India, and the first Asian ever to win the economics prize, =
said=20
decisions on whether to impose sanctions had to be based on whether or =
not they=20
would be effective.=20
<P><STRONG>SANCTIONS SHOULD NOT BE USED AS PUNISHMENT</STRONG>=20
<P>``I've never believed in punishments...I don't think punishment =
should be=20
given on grounds that somebody deserves it. It has to be that it will do =
some=20
good in the future.=20
<P>In a country like Myanmar, where there was a lot of discontent and a=20
well-developed opposition movement ``pressure may well be effective,'' =
he said.=20
However, he added:=20
<P>``Ultimately, I don't think other countries can give you democracy. =
It has to=20
come from inside the country.''=20
<P>China was far less susceptible to pressure, he said.=20
<P>``China is a very large country and in many ways a very advanced =
economy and=20
very self-dependent. It's not easy to pressure around and it strongly =
resents=20
being pressured around.=20
<P>``Also, the Chinese economy, unlike the Burmese has on the whole been =
very=20
successful. It's not like the country's seething with rebellion, so I =
don't=20
really think that by putting on sanctions you will make opposition =
groups come=20
out and be more successful. I don't thing that's likely to happen.''=20
<P>Sen said he was sceptical about China's line that increased local =
democracy=20
would bring overall democracy.=20
<P>``But it's not entirely dismissable. There are voices within their=20
administration which would like to see a more democratic structure, so =
it's a=20
question of whether sanctions will strengthen rather than weaken it.=20
<P>``So China is a much more difficult case than South Africa was =
earlier or=20
Burma is right now.''=20
<P>Sen said China was one of the most successful cases of development in =
the=20
world, although it's lack of democracy was ``a great defect that they =
have to=20
cure.''=20
<P>``I think foreign investment in Burma is a bad thing because I think =
it=20
bolsters the regime and because the regime doesn't have anything like =
the=20
positive record China has. China has had a lot of success and Burma has =
always=20
had very little success.''=20
<P><BR></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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