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SINGAPORE OPPOSITION RAPS SLORC



Thursday May 22 7:43 AM EDT 

Singapore opposition raps Burma

SINGAPORE, May 22 (UPI) _ A Singapore opposition party leader cheered
President Clinton's
actions against Burma, and called on the Singapore government to follow suit. 

In a statement, Workers Party Secretary-General J.B. Jeyaretnam applauded
the economic
sanctions imposed by the United States against Burma following the arrest of
more than 50
Burmese dissidents earlier this week. He also called on Singapore to oppose
Burma's application
to join the Association of South East Asian Nations, ``so long as the
military keeps the people's
elected government out.'' 

Singapore is one of Burma's leading foreign investors, with investments
totalling more than $1.2
billion through March 1997, according to figures from the Burmese government. 

Government representatives had no immediate comment on the situation in
Burma. However, a
representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Singapore has
generally hewed to the
official ASEAN position, which is that southeast-Asian nations such as
Burma, Laos, and
Cambodia will eventually be admitted. 

ASEAN is due to consider the three nations' application at a special foreign
ministers' meeting in
Kuala Lumpur on May 31.