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Burmese exiles warn of China-Rangoo
- Subject: Burmese exiles warn of China-Rangoo
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 02 Jul 1997 21:53:00
Subject: Burmese exiles warn of China-Rangoon ties
Burmese exiles warn of China-Rangoon ties
01:42 p.m Jul 02, 1997 Eastern
STOCKHOLM, July 2 (Reuter) - The self-proclaimed Burmese
government-in-exile said on Wednesday it was concerned that
Rangoon was strengthening its ties with China at the expense of its
other relationships in the region.
``We are very concerned about China's involvement,'' said Sein Win,
prime minister in the Washington-based National Coalition
Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB).
China was heavily investing in Burma's infrastructure and trade
between the two countries was increasing, Win told an annual forum
of the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
Harn Yawnghwe, an adviser to the NCGUB, said sales of
Chinese-manufactured weapons to Burma were thought to have
been worth more than $1.8 billion since 1989.
Harn told the seminar that India had taken a step back because
Burma had moved closer to China. ``What they have in Burma
now is not a stable arrangement so they needed to look at other
options,'' Harn said.
The NCGUB was set up by elected members of parliament of the
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party after they
fled Burma.
Win said that allowing Burma to join the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) would not counteract China's influence in
the country.
ASEAN will formally embrace Burma as a member in Malaysia on
July 24-25 at its next ministerial meeting.