23/9/99AAP:ASSK'S VIDEO MESSAGE TO

[uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

BURMA-AUST FED: AUNG SAN SUU KYI CRITICISES AUSTRALIAN BURMA VISIT 
DATE: 15:27 22-Sep-99 
 FED: Aung San Suu Kyi criticises Australian Burma visit BURMA AUST

 CANBERRA, Sept 22 AAP - Australia's policy of engagement with Burma
today came  under fire from Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in
a taped message to  federal parliament, smuggled out of Burma.

 Suu Kyi singled out last month's visit to Burma by Australian human
rights  commissioner Chris Sidoti, warning that it sent entirely the
wrong message, however  well-intentioned.

 "We think that the timing of this visit is wrong and that it was
ill-advised," she said in a  copy of the tape, shown to MPs today.

 "At this time when the military authorities are at their most
oppressive, the visit could  be misconstrued."

 Australia has refused to join the United States and European Union in
imposing trade  sanctions on Burma, despite being a frequent critic of
the military junta's suppression of  Suu Kyi's democracy movement.

 Foreign Minister Alexander Downer only recently declared that now was
the right time  to seek to engage the regime. 

 However, Suu Kyi said the policy, and in particular Mr Sidoti's visit,
could be seen as  endorsement of the Burmese military regime's policies
and its suppression of the  democracy movement.

 "Such a misinterpretation could hurt us very badly," she said.

 "I am sure that the members of the Australian parliament and the people
of Australia do  not wish that anything should be done to hurt the
movement for democracy in Burma.

 "For this reason we would like to appeal to you to consider carefully
all contacts made  with the military authorities in this country."

 AAP ss/mfh/apm 

BURMA-AUST FED: SUU KYI'S SMUGGLED MESSAGE TO AUSTRALIA 
DATE: 18:38 22-Sep-99 
 FED: Suu Kyi's smuggled message to Australia BURMA AUST NIGHTLEAD

 By Stephen Spencer, Diplomatic Correspondent

 CANBERRA, Sept 22 AAP - Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has used a
smuggled  videotape message to rebuke Australia for its dealings with
the Burmese military junta.

 In the message, smuggled out of Burma and played today to MPs in
Parliament House,  Suu Kyi criticised Australia's policy of engagement
as ill-advised and a setback for  democracy.

 Her attack appeared to yield immediate results, with the government
pledging to not  pursue further high level contacts with Burma until it
showed signs of progress on  human rights.

 Suu Kyi singled out last month's visit to Burma by Australian human
rights  commissioner Chris Sidoti, warning that it sent the wrong
message.

 "We think that the timing of this visit is wrong and that it was
ill-advised," she said.

 "At this time when the military authorities are at their most
oppressive, the visit could  be misconstrued.

 "Such a misinterpretation could hurt us very badly."

 Australia has refused to join the US and European Union in imposing
trade sanctions  on Burma, despite being a frequent critic of the
military junta's suppression of Suu Kyi's  democracy movement.

 Foreign Minister Alexander Downer only recently declared that now was
the right time  to seek to engage the regime.

 Liberal MP Peter Nugent, representing Mr Downer at today's showing of
the video,  defended the policy of engagement, saying sanctions and
isolation had done nothing to  improve the situation in Burma.

 But he said no further high-level meetings would take place without
some progress on  human rights.

 "We want to see some positive response from the Burmese government," he
said.

 "Clearly we're prepared to explore new ideas and new avenues but if you
find you're not  getting anywhere, then clearly you don't continue down
that path.  "But given that the situation has existed for many, many
years we thought it was  worthwhile looking at trying to make some
progress perhaps with some new initiatives."

 But opposition foreign affairs spokesman Laurie Brereton said the
strong language used  by Suu Kyi was a timely message to the Australian
government that its policy of  engagement with the Burmese junta was
wrong and it should instead support sanctions.

 "It might not work, but we believe it's got a better chance than
embracing them in a  dialogue and letting them use that dialogue for
their own propaganda purposes," he  said.

 "We do not believe there should be any high-level contacts with the
regime."

 AAP ss/mfh/dmc/br 
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