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US HAD WANTED TO DERAIL ASEAN BID,



Subject:       US HAD WANTED TO DERAIL ASEAN BID, SAYS BURMA

US HAD WANTED TO DERAIL ASEAN BID, SAYS BURMA

Rangoon, April 24: Burma's military junta, reeling from
a United States decision to impose sanctions, has
lashed lack at Washington, accusing it of trying to
derial its efforts to join the Asean regional grouping.

Lieutenant-Colonel Hla Min, a spokesman for the State
Law and Order Restoration Council, told reporters in an
interview that sanctions were part of a broader U.S.
strategy aimed at prevention Burma from entering the
protective fold of Asean membership

"We have predicted this since eight months back, that
more and more pressure will be put on Myanmar (Burma),
especially at this moment to derail Myanmar's entry
into the Asean," Mr Hla Min said during a visit this
week to Tachilek in eastern Shan State.

Mr Hla Min said the US decision, announced on Tuesday,
was aimed at encouraging the seven-member grouping to
backpedal from a policy of engagement with Rangoon in
order to isolate it. He said Washington was  trying to
do this by painting Burma's military government as
among the world's most oppressive regimes. "(But) the
Asean countries also know the true situation in this
country," he said. "And they know that we are being
unfairly pressured."

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations groups
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, which joined in July
1995. Burma, Laos and Cambodia are expected to join
this July.

Leaders of the Asean countries said this week that the
US sanctions would not delay Burma's entry into the
group. But some Western analysts have said Bruma's
accession was tantamount to approval of the Burmese
government and could make the regime less likely to
bend to pressure over human rights and drugs trade
allegations. US officials here say Burma's track record
on both issues is abysmal. They report arbitrary
arrests, deaths in custody and point to the SLORC's
continued failure to recognise the 1990 election
victory of the Opposition National League for
Democracy. (Reuter)

News and Information Bureau All Burma Students League.
(END)