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VOA-TEN YEARS OF RESISTANCE
2:32 AM 8/22/98DATE=08/15/98
TYPE=ON THE LINE
NUMBER=1-00663
TITLE=BURMA: TEN YEARS OF RESISTANCE
EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY - 619-0037
CONTENT=
THEME: UP, HOLD UNDER AND FADE
ANNCR: ON THE LINE -- A DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES
POLICIES AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THIS WEEK,
"BURMA: TEN YEARS OF RESISTANCE." HERE IS YOUR
HOST, ROBERT REILLY.
HOST: HELLO AND WELCOME TO ON THE LINE. TEN YEARS AGO
THIS MONTH, BURMESE SECURITY FORCES OPENED FIRE
ON PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATORS, KILLING
THOUSANDS. IN 1990, THE PEOPLE OF BURMA VOTED
OVERWHELMINGLY FOR A DEMOCRATIC CIVILIAN
GOVERNMENT AND AN END TO MILITARY RULE. EIGHT
YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, THE MILITARY JUNTA REFUSED
TO SEAT THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PARLIAMENT,
LED BY MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR
DEMOCRACY. SINCE THEN, THE MILITARY REGIME HAS
ENGAGED IN SYSTEMATIC HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
JOINING ME TODAY TO DISCUSS BURMA AND U.S.
POLICY ARE THREE EXPERTS. SUSAN KEOGH IS
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF BILATERAL AFFAIRS IN
THE BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR
AT THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT. MAUREEN
AUNG-THWIN IS DIRECTOR OF THE BURMA PROJECT OF
THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE. AND T. KUMAR IS
ADVOCACY DIRECTOR FOR ASIA FOR AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL. WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
MS. KEOGH, LET ME START BY ASKING YOU THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT'S REACTION TO RECENT EVENTS IN BURMA,
WHICH HAVE INCLUDED BURMESE SECURITY FORCES
PREVENTING THE TRAVELS OF THE N-L-D LEADER AUNG
SAN SUU KYI, AS WELL AS THEIR REFUSAL TO ALLOW
THE DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED PARLIAMENT TO
CONVENE?
KEOGH: WELL, DESPITE THE DEMONSTRATION IN 1990 OF THE
BURMESE POPULATION'S OVERWHELMING DESIRE TO
RETURN TO DEMOCRACY, THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT
CONTINUES TO REPRESS BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. AND
THOSE ARE, OF COURSE, FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION. ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE
JUST BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN THE PAST WEEK'S
STANDOFF WITH AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S BASIC
INCARCERATION ON THE BRIDGE THIRTY KILOMETERS
OUTSIDE OF RANGOON. AND OF COURSE WE'LL HOLD
THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR HER
HEALTH AND SAFETY AND WELFARE. AND THAT'S OUR
IMMEDIATE GOAL, THAT SHE SHOULD BE SAFE AND
SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROCEED OR RETURN AS SHE
WISHES. BUT THE BURMESE GOVERNMENT OF COURSE
SHOULD NOW ENTER INTO A MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE WITH
THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION AND ITS LEADERS WHICH
INCLUDES AUNG SAN SUU KYI. I'M CAUTIOUSLY
OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHTLY POSITIVE
DEVELOPMENT ON AUGUST THE EIGHTEENTH WHEN THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE N-L-D MET WITH GOVERNMENT
REPRESENTATIVES. AND IT WAS A SHORT MEETING AND
I DON'T KNOW THAT A LOT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. BUT
IT COULD BE THE FIRST STEP OF A PROCESS AND
THAT, OF COURSE, IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE
HAPPENING. IT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN CALLING FOR ALL
ALONG.
HOST: ALL RIGHT, LET ME CHECK WITH MAUREEN AUNG-THWIN.
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY HAS ALREADY
MADE A COMMENT, HAS IT NOT, ABOUT THIS INITIAL
MEETING BETWEEN THE PARTY CHAIRMAN AND THE
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE?
AUNG-THWIN: I READ A COMMENT THAT U TIN OO, WHO IS ALSO ONE
OF THE SENIOR MEMBERS OF N-L-D, SAID THAT THEY
DON'T CONSIDER IT A REAL DIALOGUE AND THEY WILL
NOT HAVE ANY FORMAL TALKS WITHOUT AUNG SAN SUU
KYI. BUT I THINK IT WAS NOT LIKE A NEGATIVE
REACTION AT ALL. I THINK THE FACT THAT IT
HAPPENED SHOWED THAT BOTH GROUPS DECIDED THAT
THEY BETTER START COMPROMISING A LITTLE BIT.
HOST: WELL, SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT
RECENTLY MADE THE COMMENT THAT THINGS ARE
REACHING A CRITICAL POINT IN EITHER FORMING A
DIALOGUE OR THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME SERIOUS
CONSEQUENCES. CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE BACKGROUND
TO THIS CURRENT SITUATION -- AS TO WHY YOU THINK
AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAID THIS PARLIAMENT ELECTED
EIGHT YEARS AGO SHOULD NOW BE ALLOWED TO MEET
AND SHE GAVE A DATE OF AUGUST 21ST. AND
OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ALLOWED TO MEET. SO
WHY THE DEADLINE AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN
ACHIEVED BY THIS?
AUNG-THWIN: I THINK AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND THE N-L-D HAVE
DECIDED THAT IT'S TIME TO REMIND THE WORLD THAT
IT HAS BEEN TEN YEARS. IT'S BEEN EIGHT YEARS
SINCE THE 1990 ELECTIONS. IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS
SINCE THE CALL FOR DEMOCRACY. AND THEY'RE
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE A LITTLE BIT JUST BY GOING
OUT TO TRAVEL. THE GOVERNMENT SAYS YOU ARE FREE
TO TRAVEL. EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL.
THEY'RE SHOWING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT
TO TRAVEL. AND SO WE ALSO HEARD THAT THERE ARE
TWO N-L-D SUPPORTERS WHO TRIED TO CONTACT HER
WHILE SHE WAS ON THE BRIDGE AND THEY WERE
DETAINED. SO PEOPLE ARE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO
TRAVEL TO SEE HER. I THINK ALSO THINGS ARE
GETTING SO BAD IN BURMA RIGHT NOW ECONOMICALLY
BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS AND THE RECENT
FLAP OVER THE EIGHTEEN FOREIGNERS BEING ARRESTED
AND THEN DEPORTED, WHICH REALLY REFOCUSED
ATTENTION ON BURMA AGAIN. I THINK ALL OF THIS
IS BEING USED BY THE N-L-D VERY WELL.
HOST: MR. KUMAR, WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE
SITUATION IN BURMA?
KUMAR: THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IS DETERIORATING FROM
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S POINT OF VIEW. BEFORE I
GO INTO DETAILS, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON U.S.
POLICY. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IS EXTREMELY
HAPPY THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS TAKING THE
LEAD IN CONDEMNING THE ABUSES PERPETRATED BY THE
SLORC [STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL]
IN BURMA RIGHT NOW. AND, AS A MATTER OF FACT .
. . .
HOST: THE SLORC IS THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT, OR AT
LEAST THE OLD ACRONYM?
KUMAR: WE STILL USE THAT ACRONYM ANYWAY. AND THE U.S.
IS THE ONLY GOVERNMENT WHICH IS TAKING A FIRM
LEAD. SO, WE'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT FOR TAKING THE LEAD. COMING BACK TO
THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN BURMA, IT
DETERIORATED AFTER 1988, THE MASSACRE OF
STUDENTS IN RANGOON, WHO WERE DEMONSTRATING FOR
DEMOCRACY. AT THE MOMENT, WE HAVE AT LEAST
TWELVE HUNDRED POLITICAL PRISONERS. WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE MINIMUM NUMBER. THE REASON WE
ARE SAYING THIS IS MINIMUM IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE
ACCESS TO BURMA. NOT ONLY AMNESTY BUT OTHER
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS DON'T HAVE ANY ACCESS
TO BURMA. SO THIS IS THE MINIMUM FIGURE WE HAVE
-- TWELVE HUNDRED POLITICAL PRISONERS WHO HAVE
BEEN DETAINED THERE. MANY HAVE BEEN TORTURED.
THEY HAVE BEEN HELD IN CELLS MEANT FOR DOGS.
THEIR MEDICAL ATTENTION IS BARE MINIMUM, IF NOT
NONE. AND EVEN THE DAY TO DAY TREATMENT OF
THESE PRISONERS, TORTURE AND LACK OF FOOD, ARE
OF EXTREME CONCERN TO US. THAT'S WHY WE FIND
PEOPLE DYING IN PRISONS IN BURMA AT THE MOMENT.
AND ON TOP OF THIS, SOME HAVE BEEN TAKEN FOR
SO-CALLED TRIALS. AND THOSE TRIALS ARE
BASICALLY SHOW TRIALS TO JUSTIFY THESE POLITICAL
PRISONERS BEING IMPRISONED UNDER A QUOTE-UNQUOTE
LEGAL SYSTEM. THE OTHER ISSUES WE ARE CONCERNED
WITH ARE EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS, TAKING PLACE
MAINLY IN THE ETHNIC MINORITY AREA, AND ALSO
FORCED LABORING AND OTHER ISSUES WHICH ARE OF
EXTREME CONCERN TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
AT LARGE.
HOST: AND IT'S YOUR POINT OF VIEW THAT THESE OFFENSES
ARE GETTING WORSE?
KUMAR: IT'S GETTING WORSE NOW.
HOST: DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT, SUSAN KEOGH, THAT THE
SITUATION IS DETERIORATING?
KEOGH: WELL, I THINK CERTAINLY THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY
SIGN OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE WAY THAT THE MILITARY
GOVERNMENT IS TREATING PEOPLE. CERTAINLY, THE
THINGS YOU'VE MENTIONED, POLITICAL PRISONERS --
ALL OF THOSE THINGS -- WE REPORTED IN OUR HUMAN
RIGHTS REPORT LAST YEAR. THERE'S ANOTHER ONE
DUE AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING THAT INDICATES
THAT THERE'S BEEN ANY PROGRESS. AND CERTAINLY,
AS YOU'VE POINTED OUT, THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IS
FOUNDERING IN THE COUNTRY AND BURMA NEEDS
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE. IT NEEDS
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO HELP IT
OUT. AND IT WILL REMAIN IN THIS POLITICAL
ISOLATION WHILE IT CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO DEAL
WITH THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION AND THE ETHNIC
MINORITIES AND THEIR LEADERS.
HOST: I BELIEVE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR
ORGANIZATION JUST RELEASED A NEW REPORT UPON THE
CONDITION OF FORCED LABOR IN BURMA, WHICH IS
EXTENSIVE AND UTILIZES BOTH CHILDREN, OLDER
PEOPLE, WOMEN WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO ... AND ALSO
MANY FROM ETHNIC AREAS WHO ARE FORCED INTO
LABOR.
KUMAR: AND ALSO FORCED PORTERING.
HOST: FORCED PORTERING?
KUMAR: THAT MEANS CARRYING AMMUNITION, ARMS AND
AMMUNITION, FOR THE SOLDIERS. AND THE SOLDIERS
ARE INVOLVED IN OFFENSIVES AGAINST THESE ETHNIC
MINORITIES. AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BEEN FORCED INTO LABOR -- FORCED PORTERING --
ARE HELD IN PRISON CONDITIONS. AND AGAIN, THE
CONDITIONS THERE ARE APPALLING. THAT MEANS LACK
OF FOOD, LACK OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, ET
CETERA. AND TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT.
AUNG-THWIN: AND RAPE FOR A LOT OF THE WOMEN PORTERS. THAT'S
USED AS A WEAPON OF INTIMIDATION. I WANTED TO
COMMENT ABOUT WHY CONDITIONS ARE DETERIORATING.
I ASSUME IT'S WORSE BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC
SITUATION. THERE IS NO MONEY TO MAINTAIN SOME
OF THE BARE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT EXISTS IN BURMA.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE RELYING MORE ON
FORCED LABOR, PROBABLY TRYING TO DO IT IN A WAY
THAT DOESN'T LEAVE SO MUCH TRACKS. BECAUSE
WE'VE SEEN DIRECTIVES SAYING THIS VILLAGE WILL
SUPPLY X NUMBER OF LABORERS PER DAY. AND YOU
CAN BUY YOURSELF OUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THE
LABOR. BUT NOBODY HAS ANY MONEY TO BUY
THEMSELVES OUT.
HOST: YOU HAVE MENTIONED THIS INITIAL MEETING BETWEEN
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE N-L-D AND ONE OF THE LEADERS
OF THE MILITARY JUNTA. AT THE SAME TIME, IT
SEEMS THAT THE BURMESE JUNTA IS OBDURATE IN
TERMS OF THE UNITED NATIONS, BY REFUSING TO
RECEIVE A SPECIAL EMMISARY FROM [SECRETARY
GENERAL] KOFI ANNAN. AND, OF COURSE, U-N HIGH
COMMISSIONER MARY ROBINSON HAS SPOKEN OUT VERY
STRONGLY ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.
SPEAKING OF THE DETERIORATING SITUATION, WASN'T
IT THIS PAST SPRING THAT A GROUP OF STUDENTS
WERE CONDEMNED TO DEATH BECAUSE THEY ATTEMPTED
TO CONTACT A U-N SPECIAL RIGHTS REPRESENTATIVE
WHO WAS IN THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME?
KUMAR: SOME PEOPLE WERE SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT.
AUNG-THWIN: PEOPLE ARE SENTENCED ALL THE TIME. I WANTED TO
MENTION THAT WHEN THE EIGHTEEN FOREIGNERS WERE
DETAINED AND ARRESTED BRIEFLY AND GOT FIVE YEARS
HARD LABOR AND THEN RELEASED, TWO SUPPORTERS GOT
SEVEN YEARS FOR PASSING OUT SOME LEAFLETS THAT
HAD TO DO WITH THEIR PARTY.
HOST: JUST REFERRING TO THIS, IT WAS IN MAY THE JUNTA
SENTENCED SIX STUDENT DEMOCRATIC ACTIVISTS TO
DEATH AFTER CLOSED TRIALS FOR ALLEGED
INVOLVEMENT IN ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES. JUST
BEFORE THAT, SAN SAN, AN OFFICIAL OF N-L-D, WAS
SENTENCED TO TWENTY-FIVE YEARS FOR SPEAKING TO
RADIO FREE ASIA AND THE B-B-C, I BELIEVE. WHAT
OTHER EXAMPLES DO YOU HAVE OF THIS KIND OF HUMAN
RIGHTS ABUSE? FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE CAUGHT
WITH A FAX MACHINE IN BURMA TODAY.
AUNG-THWIN YOU CAN GET UP TO SEVENTEEN YEARS IF YOU'RE --
NOT CAUGHT WITH A FAX MACHINE -- CAUGHT NOT
HAVING REGISTERED YOUR FAX MACHINE. BUT IT'S
ACTUALLY A MODEM, SO IT'S ACTUALLY COMPUTERS AS
WELL. THEY DON'T GO AROUND CHECKING EVERYONE'S
COMPUTER AND SAY WHERE'S YOUR REGISTRATION? BUT
THEY USE IT TO INTIMIDATE SO THEY CAN GET YOU
WHEN THEY WANT.
HOST: OF COURSE, THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IS ONE OF
THE CONCERNS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT,
SUSAN KEOGH. THERE ARE OTHERS, AREN'T THERE,
CONCERNING DRUGS?
KEOGH: THE THREE BASIC ONES ARE, OF COURSE, DEMOCRACY,
BECAUSE WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT THAT'S RESPONSIBLE,
RESPONSIVE TO ITS PEOPLE, YOU EXPECT A LOT OF
BAD THINGS TO GO ON FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW --
REFUGEES AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT AFFECT
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE ABUSE OF HUMAN
RIGHTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HAD AS FAIRLY
CENTRAL TO OUR WORLDWIDE POLICY FOR A LONG TIME.
IT HAS BEEN MORE PROMINENT FOR THE PAST TWENTY
YEARS. AND THEN, THIRD, THE COUNTERNARCOTICS
AREA. YOU PROBABLY KNOW [THAT BURMA IS] THE
LARGEST PRODUCER OF HEROIN AND OPIUM IN THE
WORLD.
HOST: AND, IN FACT, THAT PRODUCTION HAS INCREASED, HAS
IT NOT, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
KEOGH: ACTUALLY, I'M NOT SURE. IN THE PAST YEAR, I'M
NOT SURE IF IT INCREASED. IT MAY NOT HAVE
INCREASED IN THE PAST YEAR FOR REASONS THAT
MAYBE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH . . .
AUNG-THWIN: BUT IT'S DOUBLED SINCE THE SLORC OR THE CURRENT
JUNTA CAME IN.
KEOGH: RIGHT. IT'S CLEARLY A WAY OF MAKING MONEY FOR
THE COUNTRY. THAT HAS A STRONG EFFECT ON OUR
NATIONAL INTERESTS. IT'S A HUGE PRIORITY FOR US
TO CUT DOWN DRUGS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY AND IN THE
WORLD. IT'S A THING THAT BRINGS EVERYBODY DOWN.
SO, ALL OF THOSE THREE, THEY'RE NOT EQUALLY
IMPORTANT, BUT THEY'RE THINGS THAT WE ARE
FOCUSING ON PARTICULARLY.
HOST: I WANTED TO MENTION THE ASEAN MEETING IN THE
PHILLIPINES. AND OF COURSE SOME ATTENTION WAS
FOCUSED ON THE PLIGHT OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI. AND
IT APPEARS THAT ASEAN MAY BE WILLING, BECAUSE OF
BURMA'S EGREGIOUS BEHAVIOR, TO CHANGE THEIR
LONGSTANDING POLICY OF NON-INTERFERENCE INTO A
FORM OF ENGAGEMENT. AND THERE WERE REMARKS BY
THE THAI FOREIGN MINISTER, THE PHILLIPINE
FOREIGN MINISTER, THAT BURMA HAS TO TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS BEHAVIOR. DO YOU FIND
THAT AS A PROMISING DEVELOPMENT?
AUNG-THWIN: I THINK IT'S GREAT. AND I APPLAUD THE THAI
GOVERNMENT FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO STAND UP.
EVEN, I BELIEVE, IN MANILA, FOREIGN MINISTER
SURIN [PITSUWAN] WAS THE ONLY ONE. NO ONE ELSE
WENT IN AND SAID, YES, WE ALL BACK IT.
PRIVATELY, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, DIPLOMATS
AND POLICY-MAKERS FROM THOSE ASEAN COUNTRIES,
REALLY DO SYMPATHIZE. HE'S TALKING ABOUT BEING
A NEIGHBORING COUNTRY. THAT'S WHY THE RATIONALE
IS THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS IN BURMA COULD SPILL
OVER TO THAILAND.
HOST: IT ALREADY SPILLS OVER IN THE FORM OF MASSIVE
REFUGEES.
KUMAR: MINIMUM EIGHTEEN HUNDRED REFUGEES IN THAILAND
NOW.
AUNG-THWIN: BUT HOW BURMA ACTS TAINTS ALL OF ASEAN TOO.
HOST: WHAT, MR. KUMAR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS
OF ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON BURMA. THE UNITED
STATES HAS ECONOMIC SANCTIONS. THERE ARE SOME
EUROPEAN MEASURES DIRECTED AGAINST BURMA. WHAT
ELSE WOULD HELP?
KUMAR: ASEAN SHOULD TAKE THE LEAD. IT'S A GOOD
BEGINNING AS YOU MENTIONED, BUT ASEAN SHOULD
TAKE THE LEAD AS ONE OF THEIR PARTNERS, AS A
MATTER OF FACT. AND ALSO THERE ARE TWO OTHER
COUNTRIES WE SHOULD NOT FORGET. ONE IS INDIA.
THE OTHER ONE IS CHINA. INDIA IS KIND OF HAVING
SOME ROLE IN TERMS OF BRINGING THESE TWO GROUPS
TOGETHER, BUT WE ARE NOT SURE HOW FAR IT'S
GOING. AND CHINA IS A MAJOR PLAYER. WE
UNDERSTAND THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON RAISED THE
ISSUE OF BURMA WHEN HE WAS IN BEIJING DURING THE
SUMMIT. WE DON'T KNOW THE OUTCOME, WHAT
TRANSPIRED IN THEIR CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS. SO,
DEFINITELY WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF INDIANS
AND CHINESE, ALONG WITH ASEAN, IT WILL BE
DIFFICULT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES. THAT'S MY
ASSESSMENT OF THE SITUATION THERE.
KEOGH: IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT INDIA WAS
SUPPORTIVE IN GENEVA AT THE U-N HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION ON SOME OF THE EFFORTS MADE TO CHECK
THE ABUSES, ET CETERA, OF THE MILITARY
GOVERNMENT. SO I THINK INDIA HAS IN FACT MADE
SOME EFFORTS IN THE PAST. I'M NOT SURE WHERE
THEY ARE NOW. BUT CERTAINLY, WE ARE TRYING TO
FORGE AN INTERNATIONAL COALITION. AND ASEAN IS
ONE OF THE FOCUSES.
HOST: LET ME END BY ASKING YOU, SUSAN KEOGH, WHAT IS
IT THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
HAPPEN NEXT? WE HAVE THIS STANDOFF BETWEEN AUNG
SAN SUU KYI, THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY
AND THE MILITARY JUNTA. WHAT MESSAGE?
KEOGH: THE MESSAGE IS THAT AUNG SAN SUU KYI AND THE
DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION HAVE PROVED THEMSELVES TO
BE FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE. THEY'VE NEVER
CALLED FOR THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE
GOVERNMENT. THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO BEGIN
A DIALOGUE, TO BEGIN THE POLITICAL FUTURE OF THE
COUNTRY. THERE'S BEEN ONE SMALL STEP TAKEN. OF
COURSE, WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE THAT STEP
GOING FURTHER, AND MOVING FORWARD IN ANOTHER
PHASE. BUT IT MUST INCLUDE, OF COURSE, AUNG SAN
SUU KYI AND THE LEADERS OF THE ETHNIC
MINORITIES. AND IT CAN'T BE USED AS SOMETHING
JUST TO DIVIDE AND SEPARATE PEOPLE. AND I THINK
WE'LL BE WATCHING VERY CAREFULLY AND PUTTING ANY
PRESSURE WE CAN TO SEE THAT HAPPENING. FRANKLY,
WE DON'T WANT TO SEE BURMA FAIL. WE WANT TO SEE
BURMA SUCCEED BADLY. AS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY
WHERE IT LOOKS AFTER ITS OWN PEOPLE AND IT'S
PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
HOST: I'M AFRAID THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE THIS
WEEK. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR GUESTS -- SUSAN
KEOGH FROM THE BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS
AND LABOR AT THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT; MAUREEN
AUNG-THWIN FROM THE BURMA PROJECT OF THE OPEN
SOCIETY INSTITUTE; AND T. KUMAR FROM AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL -- FOR JOINING ME TO DISCUSS U.S.
POLICY AND BURMA. THIS IS ROBERT REILLY FOR ON
THE LINE.
21-Aug-98 12:02 PM EDT (1602 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.