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AP-Former Japanese PM Meets Myanmar

Subject: AP-Former Japanese PM Meets Myanmar Military Chief

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Wednesday, December 1 4:28 PM SGT=20
Former Japanese PM Meets Myanmar Military Chief
YANGON (AP)--Japan pressed ahead Wednesday with a diplomatic initiative =
to entice democratic reforms from Myanmar's military regime, though a =
recent meeting ended with a large gap in opinion between the two sides.=20
Former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, leading a private =
mission of former diplomats, economists and experts, held a half-hour of =
talks with Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, chief of Myanmar's military =
intelligence. It was Hashimoto's his first important meeting since =
arriving Tuesday.=20

No details were disclosed.=20

Hashimoto also saw Foreign Minister Win Aung and was to have an audience =
later in the day with Senior Gen. Than Shwe, prime minister and leader =
of the ruling State Peace and Development Council.=20

Hashimoto's mission follows a meeting Sunday between Than Shwe and =
Japan's current prime minister, Keizo Obuchi, on the sidelines of an =
informal summit in the Philippines of the Association of Southeast Asian =
Nations and Japan, South Korea and China.=20

Sunday's meeting was the first between the leader of Myanmar's widely =
shunned government and a major industrial democracy since the army =
crushed an uprising against military rule in 1988.=20

Obuchi brought the message that Japan was ready to resume economic =
assistance to Myanmar but wanted to see signs the military was seriously =
attempting democratic reforms. The army has ruled Myanmar since 1962.=20

Japanese officials at the summit described Than Shwe's response as not =
very "forward-looking," noting he cited his government's long-standing =
claim that its goal is democracy, but economic development must come =
first.=20

Though Obuchi did not spell out details Sunday of what Japan would =
consider movement toward democratic reforms, Japanese officials said a =
constructive dialogue would be necessary with opposition leader Aung San =
Suu Kyi and her party.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday, December 1</B> 4:28 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT size=3D4>Former Japanese PM Meets Myanmar Military=20
Chief</FONT></H2>YANGON (AP)--Japan pressed ahead Wednesday with a =
diplomatic=20
initiative to entice democratic reforms from Myanmar's military regime, =
though a=20
recent meeting ended with a large gap in opinion between the two sides.=20
<P>Former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, leading a private =
mission=20
of former diplomats, economists and experts, held a half-hour of talks =
with Lt.=20
Gen. Khin Nyunt, chief of Myanmar's military intelligence. It was =
Hashimoto's=20
his first important meeting since arriving Tuesday.=20
<P>No details were disclosed.=20
<P>Hashimoto also saw Foreign Minister Win Aung and was to have an =
audience=20
later in the day with Senior Gen. Than Shwe, prime minister and leader =
of the=20
ruling State Peace and Development Council.=20
<P>Hashimoto's mission follows a meeting Sunday between Than Shwe and =
Japan's=20
current prime minister, Keizo Obuchi, on the sidelines of an informal =
summit in=20
the Philippines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Japan, =
South=20
Korea and China.=20
<P>Sunday's meeting was the first between the leader of Myanmar's widely =
shunned=20
government and a major industrial democracy since the army crushed an =
uprising=20
against military rule in 1988.=20
<P>Obuchi brought the message that Japan was ready to resume economic =
assistance=20
to Myanmar but wanted to see signs the military was seriously attempting =

democratic reforms. The army has ruled Myanmar since 1962.=20
<P>Japanese officials at the summit described Than Shwe's response as =
not very=20
"forward-looking," noting he cited his government's long-standing claim =
that its=20
goal is democracy, but economic development must come first.=20
<P>Though Obuchi did not spell out details Sunday of what Japan would =
consider=20
movement toward democratic reforms, Japanese officials said a =
constructive=20
dialogue would be necessary with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and =
her=20
party. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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