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'We Can Stand Criticism' : Foreign



Subject: 'We Can Stand Criticism' : Foreign Minister Win Aung on the defense 

'We Can Stand Criticism' : Foreign Minister Win Aung on the defense 

WIN WHO? UNLIKE MOST leaders staying at Hanoi's Daewoo Hotel during the
recent ASEAN summit, Win Aung was not mobbed by a media scrum when he
arrived. In fact, no one recognized him. More than a month into the job,
Myanmar's new foreign minister is a genial, deep-voiced man who laughs
easily and whose affable style contrasts with his rather rigid and
thin-skinned predecessor, Ohn Gyaw. Win Aung, 54, is a former army officer
who has served as a diplomat in top posts in Laos, Singapore, Germany and
Britain. In Hanoi, he spoke with Senior Correspondent Roger Mitton in one
of his first interviews since taking up his latest job. Excerpts: 

Is your shock appointment part of a move by Myanmar to present a more
acceptable face to the world? 

Some people might say that, others something else. It is a surprise to me
too. I did not expect to be made foreign minister. But my predecessor had
been in the job 10 years. He did his best in his own style. I am younger
and I have my own way. I don't say it's better, but I can be much more
media-friendly. Why not give the younger generation a chance to tackle our
problems with new ideas? 

Is it hard defending your policies to ASEAN colleagues? 

They may have a different stand [over] certain things, but we are all
members of a family. There might be disagreements, but they are settled
within the family. Myanmar can withstand criticism, so long as we are given
a chance to explain. 

Explain your lack of progress toward democracy. 

We respect democracy and human rights. But they come with responsibility
and respect for the rule of law. Unfortunately, some people in my country
think democracy gives them the right to do whatever they like. If they
cross the line of the law, then the law will take its course. And then
other governments will accuse us of violating human rights. 

You feel pro-democracy groups like Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy have crossed that line? 

Our goal is the same as theirs: to build democracy. But it is wrong for
them to think only they can achieve it. The government also wants it;
meanwhile, it is trying to raise living standards. As it does so, all the
NLD does is denounce and belittle every move we make. They write letters
urging foreign governments not to have any relations with us, asking them
to punish and suppress us, not to trade or invest with us, telling tourists
not to come and so on. If instead they calm down and work with us, we will
have no problems. 

You have treated them pretty harshly. 

No, it's not heavy-handed, not harsh. If they had not threatened to convene
parliament and set up a parallel government, there would have been no need
to take this action. Had they done that, it would have caused all kinds of
problems. 

So there is no dialogue . . . 

To have a dialogue you need common ground. It won't work if one side
loftily denounces the other all the time, saying that if you don't talk
there will be "utter devastation" -- that was the phrase used by the NLD.
You cannot threaten like that. The government tried very hard to have
meaningful contacts in order to develop confidence-building measures. But
there were these statements from the other side, orders from above not to
have this person, that person, things like that. If you approach everything
in a confrontational way, denouncing and pressuring, then you can imagine
the government's reaction. 

And no progress . . . 

The Myanmar people understand how sincere we are in building the nation.
Only Suu Kyi does not appreciate what we are doing. She denounces
everything we do. She does not give priority to the people. We do. We would
like to see the people have a better living standard. We are trying, please
believe me. 

But Suu Kyi's NLD massively won the 1990 election, proving the people
support her, not you. 

Let us not look back to a long time ago. We cannot live in the past. Let us
see the future and the present. Right now, we are marching forward on the
right track. 

Have you ever met Suu Kyi? 

No, I have not.

(Source: Asiaweek).