AFP-Japan offers to help reform Mya

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Subject: AFP-Japan offers to help reform Myanmar economy, special mission coming

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Sunday, November 28 6:41 PM SGT=20
Japan offers to help reform Myanmar economy, special mission coming
MANILA, Nov 28 (AFP) -=20
Japan on Sunday announced a new initiative to help Myanmar rebuild its =
crippled economy but warned the junta it must prove its sincerity by =
undertaking genuine economic and political reform.

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said at the Association of =
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit here he would send former =
Japanese premier Ryutaro Hashimoto on a mission to assess Yangon's =
economic needs on Tuesday.

Obuchi told the junta leader, Senior General Than Shwe, during a meeting =
that if Myanmar proved its willingness to embark on radical reforms it =
could count on Japan for help.

"If your country is to tackle economic reform seriously, we are ready to =
support your country's economic reform with our experience," he was =
quoted as saying by a Japanese official.

"I would like government officials of the two countries to discuss what =
exactly we can do for you."

"Former prime minister Hashimoto is to visit Myanmar on November 30 -- =
please welcome him," Obuchi said, according to the official who hinted =
Japan may offer technical assistance to Yangon if the initiative =
prospers.

A World Bank report leaked to a newspaper this month reportedly warned =
that Myanmar's economy was on the verge of collapse, submerged in debt, =
choked by inflation and starved of foreign investment by Asia's crisis =
and international sanctions.

The country is viewed as an international pariah by Western nations =
which accuse the junta of gross human rights violations including forced =
labour and torture and of suppressing the democratic opposition led by =
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

A reported initiative supported by the United Nations and the World Bank =
last year to barter aid for political reform came to nothing, with the =
junta apparently reluctant to ease its iron grip on the country's =
tortured political climate.

The Japanese official said Than Shwe was well aware of the need for =
economic liberalisation, saying, "economic reform is indispensible."

He said the junta, known as the State Peace and Development Councilalso =
planned to hand over power eventually to a democratic government, "but =
we are still in the middle of it."

Critics say a constitution currently being drafted by a commission in =
Myanmar is little more than an attempt to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi's =
National League for Democracy from a meaningful role in politics.

The party won a sweeping election victory in 1990 but the military, =
surprised at the scale of the party's support, has refused to hand over =
power.

World Bank sources have said any new initiative in Myanmar would first =
aim to build confidence similar to the bank's efforts in North Korea. =
There is little prospect of substantial aid being granted early in the =
process.

Observers in Yangon detect no sign the junta is ready to embrace a =
purported aid-for-reform payoff mooted by diplomats as a "carrot and =
stick" drive for reform last year.

Ministers said recently Myanmar looked towards the outside world for =
help but was prepared to go it alone and hinted it could endure a =
subsistance level of existence.

Signs of Myanmar's economic morrass are obvious on the streets of Yangon =
where inflation runs at around 30 percent and the beleagured kyat =
currency trades on the black market at 350 to the dollar, compared to =
the official rate of around five.

Power cuts are frequent, plunging streets into darkness at night.

Copies of the scathing World Bank report were delivered secretly to =
Yangon's top generals and Aung San Suu Kyi by a World Bank envoy =
accompanying a special representative of United Nations chief Kofi Annan =
last month.

A Myanmar spokesman told AFP this month the government had "invited the =
World Bank representatives for further discussions."


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Sunday, November 28</B> 6:41 PM SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Japan offers to help reform Myanmar economy, special =
mission=20
coming</FONT></H2>MANILA, Nov 28 (AFP) -=20
<P>Japan on Sunday announced a new initiative to help Myanmar rebuild =
its=20
crippled economy but warned the junta it must prove its sincerity by =
undertaking=20
genuine economic and political reform.</P>
<P>Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi said at the Association of =
Southeast=20
Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit here he would send former Japanese premier =
Ryutaro=20
Hashimoto on a mission to assess Yangon's economic needs on Tuesday.</P>
<P>Obuchi told the junta leader, Senior General Than Shwe, during a =
meeting that=20
if Myanmar proved its willingness to embark on radical reforms it could =
count on=20
Japan for help.</P>
<P>"If your country is to tackle economic reform seriously, we are ready =
to=20
support your country's economic reform with our experience," he was =
quoted as=20
saying by a Japanese official.</P>
<P>"I would like government officials of the two countries to discuss =
what=20
exactly we can do for you."</P>
<P>"Former prime minister Hashimoto is to visit Myanmar on November 30 =
-- please=20
welcome him," Obuchi said, according to the official who hinted Japan =
may offer=20
technical assistance to Yangon if the initiative prospers.</P>
<P>A World Bank report leaked to a newspaper this month reportedly =
warned that=20
Myanmar's economy was on the verge of collapse, submerged in debt, =
choked by=20
inflation and starved of foreign investment by Asia's crisis and =
international=20
sanctions.</P>
<P>The country is viewed as an international pariah by Western nations =
which=20
accuse the junta of gross human rights violations including forced =
labour and=20
torture and of suppressing the democratic opposition led by Nobel =
laureate Aung=20
San Suu Kyi.</P>
<P>A reported initiative supported by the United Nations and the World =
Bank last=20
year to barter aid for political reform came to nothing, with the junta=20
apparently reluctant to ease its iron grip on the country's tortured =
political=20
climate.</P>
<P>The Japanese official said Than Shwe was well aware of the need for =
economic=20
liberalisation, saying, "economic reform is indispensible."</P>
<P>He said the junta, known as the State Peace and Development =
Councilalso=20
planned to hand over power eventually to a democratic government, "but =
we are=20
still in the middle of it."</P>
<P>Critics say a constitution currently being drafted by a commission in =
Myanmar=20
is little more than an attempt to exclude Aung San Suu Kyi's National =
League for=20
Democracy from a meaningful role in politics.</P>
<P>The party won a sweeping election victory in 1990 but the military, =
surprised=20
at the scale of the party's support, has refused to hand over power.</P>
<P>World Bank sources have said any new initiative in Myanmar would =
first aim to=20
build confidence similar to the bank's efforts in North Korea. There is =
little=20
prospect of substantial aid being granted early in the process.</P>
<P>Observers in Yangon detect no sign the junta is ready to embrace a =
purported=20
aid-for-reform payoff mooted by diplomats as a "carrot and stick" drive =
for=20
reform last year.</P>
<P>Ministers said recently Myanmar looked towards the outside world for =
help but=20
was prepared to go it alone and hinted it could endure a subsistance =
level of=20
existence.</P>
<P>Signs of Myanmar's economic morrass are obvious on the streets of =
Yangon=20
where inflation runs at around 30 percent and the beleagured kyat =
currency=20
trades on the black market at 350 to the dollar, compared to the =
official rate=20
of around five.</P>
<P>Power cuts are frequent, plunging streets into darkness at night.</P>
<P>Copies of the scathing World Bank report were delivered secretly to =
Yangon's=20
top generals and Aung San Suu Kyi by a World Bank envoy accompanying a =
special=20
representative of United Nations chief Kofi Annan last month.</P>
<P>A Myanmar spokesman told AFP this month the government had "invited =
the World=20
Bank representatives for further =
discussions."</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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