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VOA : ASEAN / BURMA - ROGER WILKISO
Voice of America
DATE=7/29/98
ASEAN / BURMA
ROGER WILKISON(MANILA)
INTRO: BURMA HAS REJECTED A REQUEST BY SEVERAL COUNTRIES TO
ALLOW JAPANESE AND U-S DIPLOMATS IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO OPPOSITION
LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, WHO HAS SPENT SIX DAYS AT A POLICE
ROADBLOCK OUTSIDE THE BURMESE CAPITAL, RANGOON. V-O-A
CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER OHN
GYAW TOLD REPORTERS IN MANILA THAT HIS GOVERNMENT DOES NOT
BELIEVE SUCH A MEETING IS URGENT.
TEXT: BURMA'S REJECTION COMES A DAY AFTER FOREIGN MINISTERS AND
OTHER TOP OFFICIALS OF SIX COUNTRIES AND THE EUROPEAN UNION HELD
AN INFORMAL MEETING WITH OHN GYAW TO ASK THAT THE JAPANESE
AMBASSADOR AND THE U-S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN RANGOON BE GIVEN
ACCESS TO AUNG SAN SUU KYI. THE MINISTERS WERE ATTENDING THE
ANNUAL POST-MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE BETWEEN SOUTHEAST ASIAN
NATIONS AND THEIR MAIN DIPLOMATIC PARTNERS.
THE BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS THE WORD FROM RANGOON IS THAT
THERE IS NO NEED FOR SUCH A MEETING AT THIS TIME.
/// OHN GYAW ACT ///
AT THIS JUNCTURE, THE MEETING BETWEEN THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR
AND THE U-S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES WITH AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS NOT
URGENTLY NEEDED, AND THE AUTHORITIES WILL COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST
WHEN NECESSARY.
/// END ACT ///
OHN GYAW SAYS THE AUTHORITIES IN HIS COUNTRY WILL RESOLVE THE
IMPASSE BETWEEN AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND BURMESE SECURITY FORCES BY
VARIOUS MEANS AND ON A STEP-BY-STEP BASIS. HE GAVE NO DETAILS.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS IN THE SIXTH DAY OF A STAND-OFF WITH POLICE,
WHO STOPPED HER CAR OUTSIDE RANGOON LAST FRIDAY WHEN SHE TRIED TO
MEET WITH MEMBERS OF HER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY. THE
SEVEN COUNTRIES PLEADING THE N-L-D LEADER'S CASE SAY THEY ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT HER HEALTH, BUT THE BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS
AS FAR AS HE KNOWS THE 1991 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER'S HEALTH IS
GOOD.
SPEAKING FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION, AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
WOLFGANG SCHUESSEL CALLED THE BURMESE RESPONSE TO THE
MULTINATIONAL REQUEST UNSATISFACTORY AND DESCRIBED AUNG SAN SUU
KYI'S SITUATION AS UNBEARABLE.
/// SCHUESSEL ACT ///
I THINK ITS UNBEARABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE, AND I
THINK WHAT WE TRIED TO GET WAS A POSITIVE ANSWER
TO SEND THE AMBASSADORS AND TO DE-BLOCK THE CAR.
AND I THINK THE RESPONSE IS NOT SATISFYING --
THAT'S CLEAR.
/// END ACT //
AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALEXANDER DOWNER ECHOS MR.
SCHUESSEL'S REACTION. HE SAYS EFFORTS TO PRESS FOR A MEETING
BETWEEN THE RANGOON-BASED DIPLOMATS AND AUNG SAN SUU KYI WILL
CONTINUE.
/// DOWNER ACT ///
I HAVE TO SAY THAT WE'RE VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT
THAT. OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THERE WOULD
BE NO OBSTACLE TO THE AMBASSADORS' MEETING WITH
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING TO
CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR SUCH A MEETING TO TAKE
PLACE.
/// END ACT ///
BURMA HAS ACCUSED AUNG SAN SUU KYI OF STAGING A PUBLICITY STUNT
TO DRAW ATTENTION TO HERSELF DURING THE CONFERENCE IN MANILA.
(SIGNED)
NEB/RW/GC/FC/WTW
29-Jul-98 5:09 AM EDT (0909 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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