Abdullah: Myanmar Should'n be ostra

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Subject: Abdullah: Myanmar Should'n be ostracised

           Copyright 1997 New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad
                               New Straits Times

                              February  14, 1997

HEADLINE: Abdullah:  Myanmar  shouldn't be ostracised

DATELINE: Singapore

   SINGAPORE, Thurs. -  Myanmar  does not deserve to be ostracised because of
its poor human rights record, Foreign Minister Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
He said this was not the approach to help the country return to the mainstream
of global activity.  Any move to push  Myanmar  to a corner, he said, would only
serve to further isolate the country.  Abdullah, speaking to reporters at the
close of day one of the plenary session at the 12th Asean-EU Ministerial meeting
here yesterday, said Asean's approach was to admit  Myanmar  into the grouping
and help its people.  "When  Myanmar  joins Asean, it will conform a lot to

the Asean way. This is our approach ... not to isolate and push  Myanmar  to a
corner," he said.   Myanmar's  impending admission to Asean has been the main
sticking point in the two-day dialogue, with EU nations calling for a tough
stand in dealing with the military regime over its poor human rights record and
its suppression of the pro-democracy movement led by Nobel peace laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi.  Abdullah said both Asean and the EU had frank and candid talks on
 Myanmar,  stressing there was merely an exchange of views with no conclusion or
decision taken.  He said while certain European countries felt that more
pressure should be put on  Myanmar  to improve its human rights record, Asean
felt this was the wrong approach.  "We advocate the policy of constructive
engagement, which means being a friend and not hate  Myanmar  ... to talk to its
leaders and help the government join the mainstream of global activity." He said
the Asean way was a better approach and pointed out that  Myanmar  was ready to
join the grouping this year, along with Laos and Cambodia.  Abdullah said there
was no discussion on East Timor - another contentious issue.  Earlier, the
Eminent Persons Group, an independent group given the task of defining long-term
perspectives for future co-operation between the two regional alliances, said
Asean and EU countries were now at a critical point in their relationship.  It
felt Asean and the European Union need to forge a new partnership in terms of
bilateral relations and in the global fora.  In presenting its report titled
Strategy for a New Partnership at the meeting today, a member of the group, Dr
Lee Tsao Yuan, said both regions now had the opportunity to decide whether to

co-operate on a whole range of issues or not.  "We recommend that they forge a
new partnership. Both regions share a common outlook and interests in ensuring
continued global peace and prosperity." The report is divided into four areas:
multilateralism, regionalism, bilateralism and the New Economic Order; trade and
economic relations between Asean and EU; political and security issues; and, the
cultural dimension - building a partnership of trust.  The EPG was created
following the 11th Asean-EU Ministerial meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1994,
and aimed to look at ways to further enhance relation between the regions.  It
is composed of 16 members, seven from Asean and nine from the EU, where members
participate in their own capacity as individuals, not as representatives of
their respective countries nor regional grouping.  The objectives are to analyse
the present state of relations between Asean and EU and to develop a
comprehensive approach of ties towards the year 2000 and beyond.

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

LOAD-DATE: February 14, 1997