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BURMA WILL JOIN ASEAN THIS YEAR



BURMA WILL JOIN ASEAN THIS YEAR


Kuala Lumpur, 1: Burma will be duly sworn in as a
member of the
Association of South East Asian Nations this year
despite widespread criticism of its human rights record
and US opposition, analysts and diplomats said.

Asean will endure a potential rebuke from the United
States and Europe over the decision because Burma is
important to Asean for strategic and economic
reasons,they said.

Washington last month banned new US investment in Burma
to exert pressure on the nation's military rulers who
hold hundreds of pro-democracy activists in jail and
have kept their leader Aung San Suu Kyi under virtual
house arrest.

It stepped up pressure last Friday by opposing Burma's
admission to Asean. But Asean, which groups brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam, says Burma's
membership is important for regional stability.

"We have all agreed not to leave Burma
behind,"Malaysian foreign minister Abdullah Badawi said
on Sunday."Otherwise, the situation may deteriorate to
a point that will jeopardies the stability of the
region."

Southeast Asian nations, who were reluctant hosts to
hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees for years,
do not want to see a   similar exodus from Burma,
analysts said.

Burma, which has long depended on China for arms has
kept a distance from the outside world for
decades.(Reuter)

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