G7 ON BURMA

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

DATE=6/19/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-36730
TITLE=G-7/BURMA  (NOT VOICED)
BYLINE=AUNG HLA
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  LEADERS OF THE WORLD'S MAJOR INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS WILL 

COVER A BROAD RANGE OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TOPICS IN THEIR 
SUMMIT IN DENVER, COLORADO.  ONE ASIAN ISSUE LIKELY TO BE 
DISCUSSED -- ESPECIALLY BY THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AND EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES -- IS BURMA.  THE UNITED STATES WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE 
PRESSURE ON BURMA'S RULING MILITARY JUNTA.  AUNG HLA OF V-O-A'S 
BURMESE SERVICE REPORTS, PRESIDENT CLINTON IS LIKELY TO RAISE 
HUMAN RIGHTS AND POLITICAL REPRESSION IN BURMA IN HIS DISCUSSIONS
WITH G-7 LEADERS IN DENVER:

TEXT:  EARLIER THIS MONTH, A U-S OFFICIAL WAS QUOTED AS SAYING 
PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL RAISE BURMA'S HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS AT THE
DENVER G-7 SUMMIT. THE OFFICIAL (QUOTED BY JAPAN'S KYODO NEWS 
AGENCY) SAID BURMA WOULD BE RAISED IN THE CONTEXT OF A CALL FOR 
CONDEMNATION OF BURMA'S HUMAN RIGHTS, DRUG TRAFFICKING AND OTHER 
PROBLEMS.

ON THURSDAY, AS MR. CLINTON PREPARED TO LEAVE FOR DENVER, STATE 
DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JOHN DINGER SAID HE COULD NOT RULE OUT BURMA
BEING DISCUSSED:

                        //  DINGER ACT //

         WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS IS THE IMPORTANCE WITH WHICH
         WE VIEW BURMA AND THE LACK OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND DISREGARD
         OF CIVIL LIBERTIES SHOWN BY THE SLORC (THE STATE LAW AND
         ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL). AND WE BELIEVE THOSE ARE 
         ISSUES THAT ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. WE ARE 
         WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF BURMA
         AND WE HOPE THAT ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES AROUND 
         THE WORLD AND THE ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL 
         JOIN US IN THAT EFFORT.

                          // END ACT //

EUROPEAN UNION (E-U) COUNTRIES ARE WRESTLING WITH THE BURMA 
ISSUE.  THE UNITED STATES HAS ASKED THE E-U NOT TO SUBMIT A 
FORMAL COMPLAINT TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (W-T-O) OVER 
MOVES BY U-S CITIES AND STATES TO BAN DEALINGS WITH COMPANIES 
THAT DO BUSINESS IN BURMA.

DIFFERENCES OVER BURMA HAVE ALSO EMERGED WITHIN THE E-U ITSELF.  
RECENTLY, IN A RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY 
BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT, THE E-U PARLIAMENT URGED THE 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION  NOT  TO CHALLENGE MASSACHUSETTS' BURMA LAW 
AT THE W-T-O.

// OPT // THE PARLIAMENT ALSO CALLED FOR AN END TO ALL TRADE, 
TOURISM AND INVESTMENT LINKS BETWEEN EUROPE AND BURMA AND URGED 
SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES TO REVIEW THEIR POLICY OF CONSTRUCTIVE 
ENGAGEMENT WITH BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT. // END OPT // 

SIMON BILLINGNESS IS A BURMA ACTIVIST WHO WORKED IN SUPPORT OF 
THE MASSACHUSETTS BURMA LAW.  HE SAYS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
RESOLUTION IS NOT BINDING, BUT DOES SHOW THE DEGREE OF DEBATE 
ABOUT BURMA: 

                      // BILLINGNESS ACT //

         ALTHOUGH IT IS PURELY ADVISORY, IT DOES SHOW THAT THE 
         EUROPEAN COMMISSION IS FACING A LOT OF OPPOSITION WITHIN
         EUROPE TO THEIR CURRENT STYLE OF CRITICIZING THE 
         MASSACHUSETTS BURMA LAW. AND I THINK THAT IT IS VERY 
         IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAS TO MAKE 
         DECISION SOON WHEN THEY WILL ACTUALLY FILE A FORMAL 
         GRIEVANCE AT THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION WITH REGARDS 
         TO MASSACHUSETTS BURMA LAW. AND IF THAT SIGNIFICANT 
         OPPOSITION WITHIN EUROPE DOING THAT, THEN IT IS LESS 
         LIKELY THAT EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL FOLLOW THROUGH.

                          // END ACT //

CONTACTED BY V-O-A, ELLA KRUCOFF -- E-U SPOKESWOMAN IN WASHINGTON
-- DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE E-U PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION, OR WHAT 
PRESSURE EUROPEAN NATIONS EXPECT AT THE DENVER SUMMIT.  HOWEVER, 
SHE WAS RECENTLY QUOTED AS DESCRIBING THE MASSACHUSETTS LAW AS "A
MAJOR BREACH" OF W-T-O RULES.

UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE, CHARLENE BARSHEFSKY,  WROTE A
LETTER TO THE E-U COMMISSION, ASKING IT NOT TO INITIATE W-T-O 
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT PROCEEDINGS.  SHE SAID WASHINGTON HAS BEEN 
WORKING WITH OFFICIALS IN MASSACHUSETTS ON THE EXISTING BURMA 
LAW, AND IS HELPING OTHER STATES -- SUCH AS CONNECTICUT, RHODE 
ISLAND, TEXAS AND NORTH CAROLINA -- THAT ARE CONSIDERING SIMILAR 
LAWS TO CRAFT LEGISLATION THAT TAKES W-T-O REQUIREMENTS INTO 
ACCOUNT.

THE EUROPEAN UNION SAYS THE MASSACHUSETTS LAW VIOLATES THE W-T-O 
PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT, BECAUSE IT "ALLOWS THE AWARD OF CONTRACTS 
TO BE BASED ON POLITICAL INSTEAD OF ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS."

BURMA ACTIVISTS OPPOSE ANY WATERING DOWN OF THE LAW. THE ENTIRE 
MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION TO THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SENT
A STRONG PROTEST LETTER TO THE E-U.

                         // REST OPT //

ALSO AMONG THOSE ATTENDING THE DENVER SUMMIT IS JAPAN'S PRIME 
MINISTER, RYUTARO HASHIMOTO.  THE JAPANESE LEADER HAS TOLD 
RANGOON IT SHOULD NOT CONSIDER ITS UPCOMING MEMBERSHIP IN THE 
ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN) AN EXCUSE TO CARRY
OUT FURTHER CRACKDOWNS ON BURMA'S DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT LED BY NOBEL
PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE -- AUNG SAN SUU KYI. (SIGNED)

EAP/AH/DAR/EH