Reuters-Myanmar junta are not peace

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar junta are not peacekeeper

Myanmar says has no peacekeeping tradition
08:00 a.m. Sep 14, 1999 Eastern
BANGKOK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Military ruled Myanmar said on Tuesday it had
not been approached about participating in a peacekeeping force for East
Timor and had ``no tradition'' in any case of taking part in such
operations.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said on Monday Jakarta would welcome
deployment of a multinational force to troubled East Timor and expressed a
preference for soldiers from the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN).

Asked if Myanmar, a fellow member of ASEAN, planned to send troops, Yangon's
Foreign Ministry replied in a faxed statement:

``Up to now, Myanmar has not been approached by anyone regarding
participation in the peacekeeping force in East Timor. Moreover, Myanmar
does not have a tradition of contributing troops to peacekeeping
operations.''

The East Timor crisis and the moves to send a peacekeeping force there has
created a dilemma for the 10-member ASEAN, which has long cherished its
principle of non-interference in another state's internal affairs.

Myanmar, which joined the bloc in 1997 and is widely criticised for its
human rights record and failure to democratise, has been an enthusiastic
advocate of the non-interference policy.

On Tuesday, Thailand, present holder of the revolving ASEAN chairmanship,
said ASEAN should play a ``very active'' role in the East Timor crisis and
attempt to resolve it on its own.

Its Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the issue had been
``fully internationalised with the consent of the Indonesians'' so
participation in such a force would not violate ASEAN principles.

ASEAN groups Thailand and Indonesia with Myanmar, Laos Cambodia, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.

Of these countries, Myanmar has one of the biggest armed forces, with an
estimated 450,000 personnel.