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Reuters-Downer sees ``long hard roa



Subject: Reuters-Downer sees ``long hard road'' to Myanmar democracy 

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Downer sees ``long hard road'' to Myanmar democracy=20
04:58 a.m. Nov 17, 1999 Eastern=20
By David Brunnstrom=20

NAKORN SI THAMMARAT, Thailand, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Australia said on =
Wednesday it would be tough work encouraging democracy and human rights =
in Myanmar, adding that real political change was needed for it to win =
international aid.=20

Asked if he was optimistic about progress in Myanmar after Yangon said =
it would invite World Bank officials back despite a highly critical =
report from the institution, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer replied: =
``I think it's going to be a long hard road.''=20

Speaking at a bilateral ministerial meeting in Thailand, Downer =
suggested too much had been made in news reports about the Myanmar =
government's apparently conciliatory response to the World Bank report =
leaked to the International Herald Tribune newspaper last week.=20

``I think I would like to see more information before I drew any hard =
and fast conclusions on how they were going to respond to the World Bank =
and what the World Bank was going to do,'' he told reporters.=20

``I would like to feel that as political reforms really took place in =
Burma, it would be possible for organisations like the World Bank to =
help with economic development. I am sure that would be very much the =
view of (World Bank president) James Wolfensohn and the World Bank in =
general.''=20

The World Bank told Myanmar's ruling generals in a confidential report =
that they must carry out major political and human rights reforms to =
achieve prosperity on a par with neighbouring countries, the =
International Herald Tribune reported last week.=20

The draft of a 109-page World Bank report on Myanmar was distributed =
secretly to top generals in the ruling military council and opposition =
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and reflected a World Bank-U.N. initiative to =
break their political deadlock.=20

Myanmar had no comment to make on the report, but said it would invite =
World Bank officials in again to the country for further consultations.=20

AUSTRALIAN VISIT JUSTIFIED=20

Downer defended a decision to send Australia's top human rights official =
to Myanmar this year to discuss setting up a rights commission there, a =
move criticised by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's beleaguered =
opposition.=20

``It wasn't misdirected, it was the right thing to do. It's an ongoing =
process that we are discussing with the Burmese. We want to see an =
improvement in human rights in Burma. We are not prepared to stand back =
and do nothing about it.''=20

Myanmar had recently asked Australia about international rights norms. =
``They are interested in getting information on human rights standards =
and we're obviously enthusiastic about them improving their record on =
human rights,'' he said.=20

Myanmar's generals have been widely condemned for rights abuses since =
killing thousands to crush a pro-democracy rising in 1988 and ignoring =
the result of the last general election in 1990 when Suu Kyi's National =
league for Democracy won by a landslide.=20

Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan also defended his country's efforts =
to maintain good relations with Myanmar, which it helped join the =
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, now a 10-member bloc, in 1997.=20

Asked when he thought such efforts would bear fruit, he said:=20

``I think it will take time and we are still working on it.''=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Downer sees =
``long hard=20
road'' to Myanmar democracy</STRONG></FONT> <BR>04:58 a.m. Nov 17, 1999 =
Eastern=20
</DIV>
<P><STRONG>By David Brunnstrom</STRONG>=20
<P>NAKORN SI THAMMARAT, Thailand, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Australia said on =
Wednesday=20
it would be tough work encouraging democracy and human rights in =
Myanmar, adding=20
that real political change was needed for it to win international aid.=20
<P>Asked if he was optimistic about progress in Myanmar after Yangon =
said it=20
would invite World Bank officials back despite a highly critical report =
from the=20
institution, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer replied: ``I think it's =
going to=20
be a long hard road.''=20
<P>Speaking at a bilateral ministerial meeting in Thailand, Downer =
suggested too=20
much had been made in news reports about the Myanmar government's =
apparently=20
conciliatory response to the World Bank report leaked to the =
International=20
Herald Tribune newspaper last week.=20
<P>``I think I would like to see more information before I drew any hard =
and=20
fast conclusions on how they were going to respond to the World Bank and =
what=20
the World Bank was going to do,'' he told reporters.=20
<P>``I would like to feel that as political reforms really took place in =
Burma,=20
it would be possible for organisations like the World Bank to help with =
economic=20
development. I am sure that would be very much the view of (World Bank=20
president) James Wolfensohn and the World Bank in general.''=20
<P>The World Bank told Myanmar's ruling generals in a confidential =
report that=20
they must carry out major political and human rights reforms to achieve=20
prosperity on a par with neighbouring countries, the International =
Herald=20
Tribune reported last week.=20
<P>The draft of a 109-page World Bank report on Myanmar was distributed =
secretly=20
to top generals in the ruling military council and opposition leader =
Aung San=20
Suu Kyi and reflected a World Bank-U.N. initiative to break their =
political=20
deadlock.=20
<P>Myanmar had no comment to make on the report, but said it would =
invite World=20
Bank officials in again to the country for further consultations.=20
<P><STRONG>AUSTRALIAN VISIT JUSTIFIED</STRONG>=20
<P>Downer defended a decision to send Australia's top human rights =
official to=20
Myanmar this year to discuss setting up a rights commission there, a =
move=20
criticised by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's beleaguered =
opposition.=20
<P>``It wasn't misdirected, it was the right thing to do. It's an =
ongoing=20
process that we are discussing with the Burmese. We want to see an =
improvement=20
in human rights in Burma. We are not prepared to stand back and do =
nothing about=20
it.''=20
<P>Myanmar had recently asked Australia about international rights =
norms. ``They=20
are interested in getting information on human rights standards and =
we're=20
obviously enthusiastic about them improving their record on human =
rights,'' he=20
said.=20
<P>Myanmar's generals have been widely condemned for rights abuses since =
killing=20
thousands to crush a pro-democracy rising in 1988 and ignoring the =
result of the=20
last general election in 1990 when Suu Kyi's National league for =
Democracy won=20
by a landslide.=20
<P>Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan also defended his country's =
efforts to=20
maintain good relations with Myanmar, which it helped join the =
Association of=20
Southeast Asian Nations, now a 10-member bloc, in 1997.=20
<P>Asked when he thought such efforts would bear fruit, he said:=20
<P>``I think it will take time and we are still working on it.''=20
</P></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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