[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Burmese Leader Shrugs Off U.S





                         Burmese Leader Shrugs Off   U.S 

                         Saturday, April 26, 1997 12:01 pm EDT 

                         RANGOON, Burma (AP) -- A senior leader of Burma's
ruling
                         military shrugged off U.S. economic sanctions and
vowed not to
                         change the country's policies. 

                         Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt also lashed out at Burma's
pro-democracy
                         forces led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who has praised
President
                         Clinton for imposing the sanctions, government
newspapers
                         reported Saturday. 

                         Clinton said Tuesday he would bar new U.S.
investments in Burma
                         because of its military rulers' ``severe
repression'' of the
                         democratic opposition. 

                         ``The United States is trying to put the government
and the people
                         in a dilemma by imposing economic sanctions,'' Khin
Nyunt was
                         quoted as saying. ``But there is no need to worry.
With firm
                         conviction and unity, we will strive hard to
realize our objectives.'' 

                         The secretary of the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration
                         Council spoke to civil servants Friday in Pyinmana,
200 miles
                         north of Rangoon. Khin Nyunt charged that ``adopted
children of
                         the neo-colonialists'' were attempting to incite
unrest and grab
                         power in Burma. This term is often used by the
military to refer to
                         Suu Kyi's opposition group. 

                         Amnesty International, the London-based human
rights group, said
                         1996 was the worst year in history for human rights
in Burma,
                         citing the arrest of thousands of democracy
activists, a
                         government-orchestrated mob attack on Suu Kyi and
continued
                         harassment of all opposition. 

                         The U.S. sanctions have been praised by democracy
advocates
                         around the world, while business leaders and
Burma's allies in
                         Southeast Asia have sharply criticized them. 

                         Burma's military regime has said the unilateral
sanctions would hurt
                         only U.S. businesses that would lose out on the
opportunity to
                         invest in Burma, also known as Myanmar.