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Burmese exiles warn of China-Rangoo



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.