Burma Related News, 7 March 2000

10 years of sanctions but no change : Myanmar

YANGON, March 7 (AFP) -

Myanmar on Tuesday spat vitriol at countries which took part on a meeting on its bitter political deadlock, painting the talks as a plot to pile more pressure on its military rulers.

As the attack was launched, details also emerged of a major policy speech in which military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt lauded the junta's decade-long fight against foreign sanctions.

The talks on Myanmar, held in South Korea, ended Monday shrouded in secrecy. They involved representatives from Canada, Australia, Japan, Britain, France and the United Nations.

Also there, to Myanmar's fury, were fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations members Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.

"The Myanmar government is unhappy and unappreciative of the holding of the meeting," said a foreign ministry statement.

"The Seoul meeting is nothing more than a scheme hatched by western countries to give pressure on Myanmar," the statement said, adding it "would surely not bring about positive results."

Sources and reports have indicated the talks were aimed at kickstarting a long-frozen dialogue between Yangon's miltary rulers and the democratic opposition of Nobel peace laurate Aung San Suu Kyi.

But Khin Nyunt made clear in a speech delivered to an audience of Myanmar diplomats that foreign critics had shown their ignorance of the country by imposing sanctions.

"They have done so in the belief that this will result in the collapse of the economy and that Myanmar will be forced to follow their lead," he said.

In fact, sanctions had the opposite affect, he said, claiming the economy was moving with "greater momentum," profiting from the people's determination to resist "unwarranted intrusion into our own affairs."

Myanmar's junta has resisted all attempts to force it to hand power to the National League for Democracy (NLD) of Aung San Suu Kyi which won an huge election victory in 1990.

It is accused of a catalogue of human rights abuses and of carrying out a campaign of intimidation and detentions against the opposition.

Claims that the economy is forging ahead are viewed with scepticism abroad.

According to extracts of a World Bank report leaked to the press last year, the economy is on the verge of collapse, beset by high inflation and an almost worthless currency, the kyat.

Khin Nyunt, the First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, as the junta calls itself said he was committing Myanmar to a new, more purposeful international role.

Without giving details of the new foreign policy he said : Myanmar is determined to play a more meaningful role in the world."

In a move which ended decades of political isolation, Myanmar joined ASEAN in 1997 despite stiff opposition from Western countries. The issue of Myanmar has poisoned relations between the grouping and the European Union ever since.

The United States, Europe and other nations maintain tight restrictions on investment and trade with Myanmar.

The outcome of the two-day meeting in Seoul was unknown with officials involved remaining tight-lipped even about the purpose of the session.

A South Korean official speaking on condition of anonymity said the forum was "partly aimed at improving the human rights situation there and of course is related to Aung San Suu Kyi."

Another official said the low-profile meeting would produce no formal or written results, and he refused to elaborate on the politically sensitive forum.

The Seoul meeting was on the lines of a retreat in Chilston, England in 1998 which reportedly came up with a "carrot and stick" formula for diplomacy designed to nudge the junta into making concessions.

Soon after the talks, Western states working in conjunction with the World Bank reportedly offered Yangon a one billion dollar package of aid in return for reforms. The approach was later rejected by the ruling generals.

Diplomats in Yangon have denied any specific figure was discussed at Chilston.

AFP, 7 March 2000

Myanmar defiant after 10 years of sanctions

YANGON, March 7 (AFP) -

A leading Myanmar general has issued a pointed critique of Western policy towards his country, saying the junta had defied 10 years of political and economic sanctions designed to bring it down.

Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the junta's head of military intelligence told a forum of Myanmar diplomats that foreign critics were misguided if they thought they could force the junta to change its policies.

"They have done so in the belief that this will result in the collapse of the economy and that Myanmar will be forced to follow their lead," he said.

Khin Nyunt argued that the sanctions had the opposite affect, saying the economy was moving with "greater momentum" profiting from the people's determination to resist "unwarranted intrusion into our own affairs."

The speech was delivered on Monday, after a meeting in South Korea of Western nations, the United Nations and several Southeast Asian states on Myanmar's political deadlock.

Myanmar's junta has resisted all attempts to force it to hand over power to the National League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi which won an huge election victory in 1990.

It is also accused of a catalogue of human rights abuses and of carrying out a campaign of intimidation and detentions against the opposition.

Claims that Myanmar's economy is forging ahead are viewed with scepticism by diplomats in Yangon and outside observers.

According to extracts of a World Bank report leaked to the press last year, the economy is on the verge of collapse, beset by high inflation and an almost worthless currency, the kyat.

Power cuts frequently plunge the streets into darkness at night in Myanmar and the country is suffering from an investment drought brought on by the Asian crisis.

Despite the World Bank's scathing assessment, Myanmar has invited the organisation's bosses in Washington to send another team to the country.

Khin Nyunt, the First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, as the junta calls itself said he was committing Myanmar to a new, more purposeful international role.

Without giving details of the new foreign policy he said: "Myanmar is determined to play a more meaningful role in the world."

Myanmar joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997 against the stiff opposition of Western countries. The issue of Myanmar has poisoned relations between the grouping and the European Union ever since.

The United States, Europe and other nations maintain restrictions on investment and trade with Myanmar.

AP, 7 March 2000

Myanmar Genl Urges Envoys To Counter Western Influence

YANGON, Myanmar (AP)--A senior leader of Myanmar's military government has urged the country's ambassadors to launch a diplomatic offensive against interference by other nations demanding the regime become more democratic.

The orders handed down by Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, the powerful head of military intelligence, follow a weekend meeting in Seoul by diplomats and officials from 14 countries on the standoff between the military and prodemocracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

"A group of nations is trying to dominate the world by using political, economic, diplomatic and military might," Khin Nyunt was quoted as saying Tuesday in the official press.

"These nations are blatantly ignoring the norms of international relations such as equality, sovereignty and territorial integrity and are interfering in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights and democracy," Khin Nyunt said.

Though Khin Nyunt didn't single out any country in his speech, delivered Monday to Myanmar's chiefs of diplomatic missions, Myanmar in the past has accused Western nations led by the U.S. of trying to destabilize country by imposing economic sanctions.

The sanctions are aimed at forcing the military, which has ruled since 1962, to end systematic human-rights abuses and relinquish power to a democratic government.

They so far have failed to force the military to even talk to Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. Her opposition National League for Democracy won elections the military allowed in 1990, but failed to uphold when government-backed parties lost.

The elected parliament has never convened. Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest between 1989 and 1995, and her party remains under tight restrictions.

Genl Says Myanmar's Future Determined By Myanmar,Not The West

The Seoul meeting was a followup to one held in England in 1998 by nations concerned about the stalemate. Then, they reportedly decided to offer the regime financial

incentives to making concessions. The offer was rejected. 

Officials to the Seoul meeting have disclosed no details. Myanmar lobbied its nine fellow members of the Association

of Southeast Asian Nations not to attend, citing the group's long-standing policy of not interfering in each other's affairs.

But ASEAN members Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines all sent delegations. Officials from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, Britain and the United Nations also attended.

In his speech Monday, Khin Nyunt told Myanmar diplomats to launch an offensive to negate Western diplomatic and media attempts to isolate and discredit the country, also known as Burma.

"It is more than 10 years since the Western nations have imposed economic embargoes against Myanmar, thinking that it will result in the collapse of the economy, forcing Myanmar to follow their lead," Khin Nyunt said. "In fact, the opposite has happened."

"I wish to state categorically that the future of Myanmar people must be decided by the Myanmar people themselves and we won't accept interference from outside," Khin Nyunt said.

AP, 7 March 2000

Laos Deputy PM In Myanmar On Official Visit

YANGON (AP)--The deputy prime minister of Laos, Boungnang Vorachith, is leading an official delegation on a five-day visit to Myanmar, the state-controlled press reported Tuesday.

Boungnang, who is also finance minister, and his delegation arrived Monday on what the newspapers described as a goodwill visit at the invitation of Lt. Gen. Khi Nyunt, one of the leading figures in Myanmar's ruling junta.

Boungnang met Khin Nyunt Monday, said the reports. The Laotian delegation includes the vice minister for foreign affairs, Phonsavath Boupha, as well as the vice ministers for agriculture and forestry, commerce, and communication, and a vice minister to the office of the prime minister.

Myanmar - also called Burma - and Laos, two of the poorest and most isolated countries in Southeast Asia, share a short border. Myanmar is ruled by an authoritarian military regime and Laos has a single-party Communist regime which has allowed free-market economic reforms over the past decade.

The Laotian delegation will visit Mandalay, Myanmar's second biggest city, and Ngapali, a beach resort in the west, before departing Saturday, the reports said.

XINHUA, 7 March 2000

Myanmar Official on Int'l Situation
Tue 7 Mar 2000

YANGON (March 7) XINHUA - "Without the presence of power equilibrium, the international situation has assumed a unipolar stance and a group of nations is trying to dominate the world by using their political, economic, diplomatic and military might," said a high-ranking Myanmar government official.

Speaking here Monday at the opening of the Conference of Heads of Mission of Myanmar Embassies, Permanent Missions and Consulates- General, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, charged that these nations are blatantly abusing and violating norms of international relations and are openly interfering in the internal affairs of other nations by using human rights, democracy and other pretexts.

Khin Nyunt, who is also Chairman of Myanmar's Foreign Affairs Policy Committee, cited instances of ignorance of the U.N. Charter and International Law and commitment of armed aggression against sovereign state.

"Although the western media have deliberately tried to paint a very bleak picture of Myanmar, although some big western nations are continuing to give pressure against Myanmar in many ways and are interfering in the internal affairs of the country, the reality is that the nation is not encountering unrest and disturbances," he commented.

He objected to accept attempts at interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar, saying that the future of Myanmar must be decided by Myanmar people themselves.

He noted that it is now over 10 years since the western nations have imposed economic embargo against Myanmar in order to pressure it with the belief that it will result in the collapse of the country's economy and that Myanmar will be forced to follow their lead.

In fact, he pointed out, the Myanmar people become more united in times of crisis, saying that the more pressure, the more united.

He stressed that Myanmar is determined to play a more meaningful role in the world, while maintaining the basic principles of Myanmar's independent and the active foreign policy including development of friendly relations with all countries in the world.

He also emphasized the importance of the participation in United Nations and other international and regional organizations as well as the ties with neighboring countries in accordance with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

He vowed that Myanmar would increase the momentum of external relations and launch an effective diplomatic offensive.

Regarding Myanmar's internal affairs, Khin Nyunt said the government has opened the door to peace to the remaining anti- government armed groups which have not yet made peace with the government, hoping that they will response to the peace call.

He called on all the national races in Myanmar to work together with the union spirit and in unity for the progress and development of the nation.

The conference is the first ever one of its kind held in Myanmar since 1963 to review some of the main features in the world today and their implications on Myanmar.