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BKK POST: Tim Wirth's Slip up
- Subject: BKK POST: Tim Wirth's Slip up
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 10 May 1994 22:02:00
The Bangkok Post
Tuesday May 10, 1994
Post Opinion
US MUST CLEAR UP SLIP-UP ON BURMA
The call by a senior American policy-maker for increased US ties with
Burma needs to be quickly dismissed before it is mistaken for an actual
Washington plan. State Department Counselor Tim Wirth's proposal to
reverse US action and widen contacts with Rangoon is badly
misguided. His senior rank among US officials lends unwarranted
emphasis to his call for a new American policy on Burma. US direction
on Asian relations has recently come under internal fire from major
Clinton Administration officials. Mr Wirth's sudden and confusing
recommendation for reversal of a stable Burma policy needs to be
quickly clarified.
Mr Wirth is a former US senator, with acknowledged expertise on
narcotics matters. In an interview with the Reuters news agency last
week, he recommended "more dialogue" between Washington and the
Rangoon junta. Without providing details, Mr Wirth said such contact
would reduce a huge outflow of heroin to the United States and other
countries. He recommended ignoring the continuing and massive
repression of Burmese in favour of his emphasis on the drugs problem.
"I'm thinking of young people on the streets of the United States of
America who are directly impacted by that," he told his interviewer.
"That should be our priority."
Not even our own government's policy of "constructive engagement"
is as cynical as Mr Wirth's proposal. The US official's proposal would
completely overlook the massive and violent abuses of Burmese
citizens. At least the Thai -- and ASEAN -- approaches to Rangoon aim
at reversing repression by the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC). Mr Wirth, as a former politician, may feel he still
must serve an exclusively American population. the only satisfaction
we can draw is from a fellow official in the State Department who said
Mr Wirth's proposal was "unlikely to be met with much enthusiasm."
Available evidence shows SLORC has neither the desire nor the ability
to launch an effective anti-narcotics programme. SLORC leader Lt Gen
Khin Nyunt claimed last January his regime would move against
narcotics peddling. The reality has been the opposite. An alleged
military attack on warlord Khun Sa evaporated two months ago
without a single gain. Opium growing and heroin refining continues to
grow in northern Burma. SLORC has shown no commitment to combat
such growth. In addition, troubling reports of direct links between
narcotics dealers and SLORC officials continue unabated.
The proposal to put Rangoon and Washington on an equal diplomatic
footing is misguided. Since it took power in 1988 over the bodies of
thousands of dead citizens, SLORC has shown few signs of
compassion. For five years, it has kept its best-known and most
peaceful citizen imprisoned at home. Aung San Suu Kyi said in a recent
interview she remains determined to continue her struggle for a
democratic Burma. The world's only superpower should do no less.
There may be no absolutes in diplomatic affairs. But the lack of
goodwill from SLORC is clear. Mr Wirth's proposal to give status to
the Rangoon junta in the mere hope it might respond is misguided.
SLORC has had many years and opportunities to improve its image
through direct action. Instead, it has continued one of the most
repressive systems of governments of our day. There are several
opinions and policies about how to change this. Mr Wirth's proposal
merely to overlook them and to have faith that heroin exports will
decline is a major act of faith. Beside this, the Thai government's hope
that a slow increase in economic and diplomatic relations will
encourage an easing of SLORC's tyranny seems like a paragon.
The chief US policy-maker for Asian affairs, Winston Lord, complained
last week that US-Asian relations have been sliding for the past six
months. The confusing statement from Mr Wirth tends to back up this
claim. United States policy towards Burma's been clear, and firm, since
1988. Indeed, Mr Lord himself said a week ago that Washington
intended to continue to disagree with ASEAN on the matter. "The
United States wants Burma isolated while ASEAN is pursuing a policy
of engagement," he said. If Washington is going to change this policy,
it owes its allies a clear warning. If, as it should, the US intends to
continue to press SLORC for change, it must make this clear. Mr
Wirth's statement has caused confusion. The Clinton Administration
should clear it up quickly.