The New Zealand Herald, Auckland, N

[nin@xxxxxx]

Subject: The New Zealand Herald, Auckland, New Zealand, on Burma:

	The New Zealand Herald, Auckland, New Zealand, on Burma:
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   	Is the Association of Southeast Nations at last recognizing that
	there is more to effective regional development than paying lip
	service to combined responsibility?
   	
	Under the policy of constructive engagement, the Southeast Asian
	states had wanted Burma as a full member by next year. Hurried
	efforts to bring Burma, Cambodia and Laos into the fold imply some
	ASEAN leaders are desperate to strengthen the organization through
	weight of numbers in the face of outside interest in the region's
	development.
   	
	Common sense has now prevailed. Delaying Burma's entry, ASEAN
	has acknowledged that welcoming a pariah state into its midst would
	do nothing for its international credibility and that the
	engagement policy has not worked.
   
	In the process, the leaders have left the strongest advocate on
	Burma's behalf, Dr. Mahathir of Malaysia, to reinforce _ in the
	words of a former Australian prime minister _ his recalcitrance
	with his claim that the Burma of today is not the Burma of many
	years ago. In light of the United Nations charges last month that
	the Rangoon regime had suppressed opposition, used forced labor to
	build the economy, tortured prisoners, abused women and conducted
	summary executions, Dr. Mahathir's support does him no credit.