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"Suu Kyi wants ASEAN to broker dialogue"

"The Hindu" Newspaper
Date July 14, 1999.

Bangkok, July 13:The Myanmarese opposition leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi
has called on the Association of South-East nations to launch an
initiative encouraging dialogue between her National League for
Democracy and the ruling generals.
 In a commentary published today in Thailand's The Nation newspaper, the
1991 Nobel Peace prize winner said ASEAN's "constructive engagement" of
the ruling military had failed and its policy of non-interference was an
excuse for not helping. She said while some countries were working
toward democracy in Myanmar, members of ASEAN were not. She said some
ASEAN nations justified not helping by arguing that democracy was a
"western" concept.
 "We believe that support form ASEAN--which comprise Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Laos and Vietnam and
which Burma (Myanmar) recently joined--is crucial to our quest for
democracy", Ms Suu Kyi wrote. "It is time for a new initiative on the
part of the ASEAN members to impress on the junta the need to open a
dialogue with the NLD."
 The call came after and E.U delegation visited Myanmar last week
seeking way to re-establish a dialogue with the military.