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Burma's Exiled Gov't Blasts U.S



Burma's Exiled Gov't Blasts U.S

                                                                  Sunday,
March 16, 1997 3:01 am EST 

                                                                  BANGKOK,
Thailand (AP) -- Burma's government-in-exile criticized a
                                                                  group of
United States business representatives Sunday for lobbying
                                                                  the
Clinton administration against possible economic sanctions against
                                                                  Burma's
military government. 

                                                                  In a
statement received in Bangkok, the National Coalition Government
                                                                  of the
Union of Burma, a Washington-based group, blasted the
                                                                  U.S.-ASEAN
Business Council for ``trying to sanitize the brutal image
                                                                  of the
(Burmese) regime,'' in a ``desperate'' attempt to block sanctions.

                                                                  The NCGUB
is comprised of members of parliament from a 1990
                                                                  election
the regime ignored. The military then jailed or assassinated
                                                                  many of
the election winners, forcing several to seek refuge abroad. 

                                                                  Burma's
current military regime came to power in 1988 after gunning
                                                                  down
thousands of democracy demonstrators. It has since been
                                                                  regularly
criticized by the United Nations, Western countries and
                                                                  human
rights organizations for wide-ranging abuses and suppression
                                                                  of the
country's democracy movement led by Nobel Peace Prize
                                                                  winner
Aung San Suu Kyi. 

                                                                  The
Clinton administration is considering whether to slap sanctions on
                                                                  the regime
because of recent stepped-up repression against Suu Kyi's
                                                                  movement,
including the arrest of hundreds of her followers and her
                                                                  virtual
house arrest. She has called for economic sanctions. 

                                                                  Fifty
American corporate executives, including former Secretary of
                                                                  State
Alexander Haig and Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen, attended a
                                                                  recent
meeting in Singapore of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, an
                                                                  organizati
on which promotes trade and investment between the United
                                                                  States and
the Southeast Asian regional grouping. 

                                                                  ASEAN
consists of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
                                                                  Thailand,
Singapore and Vietnam. Burma, Cambodia and Laos are
                                                                  expected
to be admitted this year. 

                                                                  At the
meeting, Haig urged the Clinton administration not to impose
                                                                  sanctions,
calling those who supported them ``arrogant, wrong-headed
                                                                  and
short-sighted.'' 

                                                                  The NCGUB
said Haig and Bentsen were either poorly briefed and
                                                                  misused by
the Council or were ``arrogant, wrong-headed and short
                                                                  sighted
 ... or perhaps they were jet-lagged after being flown First
                                                                  Class to
Singapore.'' 

                                                                  It also
criticized Bentsen for saying Suu Kyi's voice represented the
                                                                  view of
just one person, noting that Suu Kyi's party won 82 percent of
                                                                  the 1990
vote. 

                                                                  ``In light
of the deteriorating situation in Burma, President Clinton has
                                                                  no choice
but to impose sanctions,'' the NCGUB said. 

                                                                  The exiles
said foreign investment and money from drug-trafficking
                                                                  was
helping fund the regime's massive military buildup. 

                                                                  The regime
had nearly no foreign reserves in 1988, but has now
                                                                  received
more than $5 billion in foreign investment. 

                                                                  In 1988,
the regime spent 25 percent of its budget on defense and had
                                                                  185,000
troops enlisted. Today, the World Bank says it spends about
                                                                  50 percent
of its budget on defense and has more than 325,000 men
                                                                  under arms. 

                                                                  The U.S.
government has strongly condemned Burma, the source of
                                                                  60 percent
of the heroin sold in America, for its cozy relationship with
                                                                  drug dealers.