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           BURMA AN ANOMALY IN ASEAN, SAYS US
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Japan claims Asean had hidden agenda in ignoring the West

By Michele Cooper

Kuala  Lumpur,  July  27:  US secretary  of state Madeleine
Albright  launched a  bitter attack  on Burma  on Sunday as
Asean's newest member met its Western critics for the first
time as an equal in a regional forum.

Calling military-ruled Burma "an anomaly within the Asean,"
Ms  Albright said it  was the only  member "where the state
and  society are fundamentally  at odds" and  a state whose
government  "protects  and  profits from  the  drug trade."

"Burma  is inside  Asean,  but  it will  remain outside the
Southeast  Asia  mainstream  and isolated  from  the global
economy  until accountable government is restored.  That is
not   an  admonition   but  an   objective  fact   we  must
acknowledge," Ms Albright said.

Ms  Albright was representing the United States here in the
Association  of  Southeast  Asian  Nations  Regional Forum,
which also included new member Burma.

A  Burmese senior  official said foreign  minister Ohn Gyaw
had  come prepared  to brief  the forum  on progress toward
writing  a  new  Constitution but  has  also  clarified the
"misconceptions"  of some participants.  "We would not like
to  discuss internal matters,  but since they mentioned our
country,   we  were prepared  to  explain to  them  just to
correct those misconceptions," the official said.

Burma  was admitted to Asean  on Wednesday along with Laos,
despite Western contentions that Rangoon should be isolated
because of its record on human and political rights.  Asean
held  that a  policy of "constructive  engagement" in Burma
was  the  best way  to encourage  reforms.  But  a Japanese
official,   speaking on the sidelines of the meeting,  said
Asean  had a  "hidden agenda"  in ignoring  US and European
Union objections toe Burmese membership.

Asean   was  in   fact  using   Burma's  membership   as  a
counterweight  to China's influence  over the country,  the
official  said,  noting that China  had long been the "open
door" to Burma, whose other borders are largely closed. The
European  Union,  meanwhile,  assailed Burma's ruling junta
for its record on political and human rights.

Luxembourg foreign minister Jacques Poos,  representing the
EU,  said that aid to Burma was "out of the question" until
the   ruling   junta   moved   toward   political  reforms.

"Reform  in Burma has moved  at a snail"s pace," Australian
foreign  minister  Alexander  Downer  commented  on Sunday.

On  Wednesday  Britain signalled  its objection  to Burma's
membership  by ordering its top envoy to stay away from the
Asean admission ceremony.

Ms  Albright said the ruling junta  in Rangoon must talk to
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,  and she asked Asean to
use  its influence  to that  end.  "  also hope  Asean will
broaden its engagement with Burma," she said,  adding,  "To
play  a  constructive  role  in  promoting  dialogue inside
Burma,   it  is important  that we  all  engage in  our own
dialogue  with  those  who  represent  the  popular  will."

In  bilateral meetings on the  sidelines of the conference,
Ms  Albright urged Asean ministers to  meet Ms Aung San Suu
Kyi  when  they  travelled  to  Rangoon,   officials  said.

Ms  Suu Kyi's  National League for  Democracy swept general
elections in 1990, but the junta refused to acknowledge the
results  and hand over power,  (AFP)  

                                      The Asian Age 28 July
1997 News and Information Bureau, All Burma Students League

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