Reuters-EU delegation in Myanmar on

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Subject: Reuters-EU delegation in Myanmar on dialogue mission 

EU delegation in Myanmar on dialogue mission
06:19 a.m. Jul 06, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, July 6 (Reuters) - A mid-level European Union delegation arrived in
Myanmar on Tuesday on a mission aimed at restoring a dialogue between the EU
and the military government to promote human rights, and to meet
pro-democracy leaders.

The mission comprised a representative of Finland, the current holder of the
EU presidency, Portugal, which will hold the next presidency, the European
Commission and the secretariat of the European Council of Ministers.

``The mission is there basically to see whether the EU can establish a
dialogue with Burma (Myanmar) -- with the government,'' Tauno Kaaria,
Finland's ambassador to Thailand and Myanmar, told Reuters in Bangkok.

``This would be a dialogue with Myanmar itself with the main purpose, of
course, of seeing how the EU could be active in promoting the human rights
and democracy situation in the country.''

Kaaria said that during its two-day stay, the delegation would also aim to
meet ethnic minority leaders and leaders of the pro-democracy opposition,
including 1991 Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and to encourage a
dialogue between the government and the opposition.

``The main purpose is to seek possibilities for a dialogue (between the
government and) the EU, but if at the same time we could establish a
dialogue between the parties, so much the better,'' he said.

Asked if the mission was aimed at improving relations between the European
Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which have
been strained by Myanmar's rights record, he replied:

``Of course, it's well known that the Burma/Myanmar situation has strained
relations between the EU and ASEAN, but this has not specifically been the
point or the aim of this mission, it's clearly directed more at EU-Myanmar
dialogue.''

He said there was ``absolutely no truth'' in a Thai media report that
suggested trade as a motive.

The EU currently bans senior officials from Myanmar from its borders, a
restriction that forced cancellation of an EU-ASEAN foreign minister's
meeting in Germany earlier this year. It says

the ban will stay in place until there is a ``significant'' improvement in
Myanmar's human rights situation.


Kaaria said there were no pre-conditions set for the current mission.Asked
what Europe hoped for from it, he replied: ``In the best of cases there
would be the possibility to establish a dialogue -- meetings at ministerial
level, at a political level.

``Whether that type of dialogue would take place where the visa restrictions
are not in force, I can't say. we're not even near that stage yet.''

The Yangon government did not comment on the mission.

But in the capital, a retired government employee, Ba Aye, said he hoped it
would encourage dialogue between the ruling State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).

``It's high time they came to terms with each other,'' he said. ``We can't
wait to see leaders of the SPDC and the NLD shaking hands with each other in
good faith on television,'' he said.

``I believe it would be the best news for everyone this century since we
declared our independence in 1948.''
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