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Rruters : Myanmar vows to block int



Myanmar vows to block interference in its affairs 
02:59 a.m. Jul 28, 1998 Eastern 

YANGON, July 28 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military junta on Tuesday vowed to
fight recent moves by fellow ASEAN members to allow open discussion of the
internal affairs of the regional grouping's members. 

Commentaries carried in all three official newspapers, which are
mouthpieces for government policy, said: ``Myanmar is a sovereign nation.
Myanmar will not allow interference in her internal affairs.'' 

They said the Philippines had supported a Thai proposal to the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to change the group's policy of
``constructive engagement,'' or non-interference in the internal affairs of
members, to ``flexible engagement,'' in which members could freely discuss
each other's problems. 

The proposal made at an ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Manila was
rejected by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. 

On Monday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said the people of
Myanmar should stage a bloodless uprising like the one in the Philippines
which led to the overthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. 

Myanmar, which has been accused by the West and rights groups of abusing
human rights and curbing the political freedom of the opposition led by
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, became a member of the
nine-nation ASEAN last year. 

ASEAN also groups Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines,
Singapore, Laos and Vietnam. 

``These days I hear unnatural and unrealistic remarks of some ministers of
some nations advocating interference in the internal affairs of Myanmar,''
said the author of the commentary entitled ``Myanmar will not on any
account, allow interference.'' 

``The aims, basic principles and concepts of the association have
categorically resolved already that it will not for any reason interfere in
the internal affairs of member nations.'' 

``The West bloc or neo-colonialists for long have been insisting that the
resolve should be amended and interference in internal affairs of member
nations allowed,'' the commentary said. 

``Surprisingly, some ministers have echoed the words of the West bloc to
interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs.'' 

``Are the nations of those ministers who made such remarks free from
problems with no hitches?'' the commentary asked, adding that the Western
bloc would like to destroy united, regional groupings. 

``It wants them divided and to fight among themselves. Only then, will it
be able to dominate them.'' 

``Accordingly, the West bloc and its lackeys are engaged in propaganda war
interfering in others' internal affairs.'' 

``It will be useless for the internal and external subversives to talk ill
of Myanmar. Myanmar, on her part, will not allow interference in any way,''
the commentary said. 

Tensions have escalated between the military government and the National
League for Democracy party led by Suu Kyi after she called on the
government to convene by August 21 a parliament comprising candidates
elected in the May 1990 elections. 

The NLD swept those polls but the result was ignored by the military.