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Congressman Richardson on Burma (ab



Subject:       Congressman Richardson on Burma (abridged)

JULY  19, 1996, FRIDAY
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER
WASHINGTON, DC
10:30 A.M EDT

BODY:
MR. GREEN: Congressman Richardson, Democrat from New Mexico, over the last_over the spring months paid official visits to both Bangladesh and to North Korea.  As the subject of this morning's briefing, the congressman is going to do a readout of his rece
nt visit and talk about U.S. government policy in the subcontinent, in the Korean Peninsula, from a congressional perspective.  The congressman has an opening statement, and then we'll go straight to your questions.  As a courtesy, please identify yourse
lf by name, media organization and country.
Congressman Richardson.
REP. RICHARDSON: Thank you.
Well, first, thank you arranging this, Arthur, and I appreciate all of you coming out.  I know that you've got other priorities with the TWA_the unfortunate TWA bombing and the Olympics.  So, what I will try to do is go for about 10 minutes, make a broad
 statement on my perspective on each of the countries that I am sure will be raised today, and then I'll take any questions that you may have.
Let me say something about  Burma  and the ASEAN meeting that is coming up in Jakarta this week.  I think it's a very important meeting.  I signed a letter recently, from a number of members of Congress to Secretary Christopher, urging ASEAN countries_th
e help of ASEAN countries in sending a clear message to the SLORC in  Burma  that it should respect basic human rights and begin a dialogue with the domestic opposition.  In addition to ASEAN increasing its own pressure on  Burma  to respect human rights
, it should urge cooperation between  Burma and the U.N. rapporteur and the International Red Cross.
Let me say that I think as we look at  Burma,  the best kind of effort should be multilateral.  It should come primarily from its Asian neighbors.  My prediction is that the United States Congress this year will pass a bill to terminate U.S. future inves
tment in  Burma.   I think there's very strong opposition to the Burmese regime.  There's been a_seemingly a lack of progress, the detention of many members of Aung San Suu Kyi's party.  And this is my prediction that the Congress this calendar year will
 pass a sanctions bill that limits new U.S. investment_U.S. investment_in  Burma.  In my view, however, the best kind of initiative should come from ASEAN countries, and I believe ASEAN members have already taken positive steps with significant statement
s_like South Korea, like Australia, like Japan recently, during the detentions of members of Aung San Suu Kyi's parties.
But specifically, in this letter that I signed, we urge the following steps.  We called on the ASEAN governments_and this letter included Chairman Ben Gilman of the International Relations Committee_called on the ASEAN governments to dispatch a represent
ative to Rangoon, following the conference, to meet with SLORC officials at the highest level and urge the prompt implementation of the U.N. Human Rights Commission Resolution of April of `96; suggest that ASEAN demonstrate its (constructive ?) engagemen
t approach; that it have tangible results by encouraging  Burma  to negotiate an agreement with the International Red Cross on prison access and, meanwhile, refrain from any high-level ministerial visits to and from Rangoon until an agreement is reached;
 and, lastly, urge the SLORC to give the newly-appointed special rapporteur on  Burma,  Mr. Lalau (sp), full cooperation on his planned visit to  Burma.  We should also announce that the United States would have no choice but to immediately impose additi
onal economic sanctions and to downgrade diplomatic representation from  Burma  in response to increased repression, including any further mass arrests of NLD activists, a decision to declare the NLD illegal, and/or the rearrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.
MR. GREEN: Okay, why don't we just wait for the mike.  We'll start over here. 
Q I have a question on  Burma.   I'm wondering why it's going to take so long to pass the bill on  Burma.   You said it would take until the end of this year.  And also, are you confident that you can get mandatory sanctions against Burma?   Because the 
administration is against mandatory sanctions.  
REP. RICHARDSON: I believe that the Congress, on its own, this calendar year_now it could be earlier than the end of the year, but you know, we're_there's now talk that the Congress will adjourn in September.  So I believe that before the end of the year
_congressional year, I should say, September_the House and the Senate will pass a bill that limits new American investments in  Burma, and other measures.  I believe that the Clinton administration will sign that bill, even though they prefer what is cal
led discretionary sanctions.  The push will be from the Congress.  I think the vote will be overwhelming.  And I'm not_now the best way_and I don't know if you were here when I said this_was for the ASEAN countries that start their meetings on Saturday t
o develop a policy.  Were you here when I said that?
And I believe that the ASEAN governments need to develop a coherent strategy not necessarily sanctions.  They're not going to do that.  But I believe that there's a movement among ASEAN countries to show more concern for human rights in  Burma.   South K
orea's done that.  Japan has done that recently.  I believe that Canada and another country are going to raise  Burma  at the ASEAN meetings. (Pauses to check information.) (I swear there isn't any ?) when you try to find something.  (Pause.) Canada and 
Australia are going to raise  Burma in the ASEAN meeting.
MR. GREEN: If there are no final questions, I'd to thank the congressman for taking time out of his busy schedule to drop by.  And have a good trip to the subcontinent.
REP. RICHARDSON: Thanks.
MR. GREEN: Thanks for stopping by.