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SOME STANDARD NEWS
BURMA FREES EX-OPPOSITION LEADER KYI MAUNG
BURMA DISSIDENTS (CARRIED EARLIER)
YANGON, June 8 Kyodo - Burma's ruling military junta today
released a former pro-democracy movement leader, Kyi Maung, after a
week of detention, according to informed sources.
The former acting chief of the National League for Democracy
(NLD) was detained last Friday shortly after he held talks with the
British ambassador to Myanmar, who was to return to London with a
former secretary of detained NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The detention followed his release in March from five years of
imprisonment.
The first release of Kyi Maung, a retired colonel and leading
spokesman for the NLD, was conditional on his not becoming involved
in any political activity.
He played a leading role in the opposition's landslide victory
in the 1990 general election. The military junta refused to accept
the election results and remains the governing authority.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize laureate, has been under house
arrest since July 20, 1989.
KYODO jnb
BURMA FREES EX-OPPOSITION LEADER KYI MAUNG
BURMA DISSIDENTS (YANGON)
Burma's ruling military junta has released former pro-democracy
movement leader, KYI MAUNG, after detaining him for a week.
The former acting chief of the National League for Democracy was
detained last Friday after holding talks with the British
ambassador to Myanmar.
MAUNG played a leading role in the opposition's landslide
victory in the 1990 general election.
The military junta refused to accept the election results and
remains the governing authority.
KYODO jnb
ASIA: ASEAN RESPONDS TO BURMA'S INVESTMENT MISSION
SINGAPORE BURMA
By Ajoy Sen of Reuters
SINGAPORE, June 9 Reuter - Burmese Prime Minister Than Shwe,
leading a high-powered military and political delegation to
Indonesia and Singapore, has clinched agreements that boost ties
with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Than Shwe, a senior general and chairman of the State Law and
Order Restoration Council (SLORC), signed an agreement in Singapore
to strengthen relations, starting with tourism and agro-business.
The pact promotes trade growth through simplifying procedures
and cooperation in shipping.
Than Shwe, who ends a four-day visit to Singapore on Sunday,
arrived in the city state from Jakarta, where he signed a bilateral
agreement to boost economic and trade relations.
Both Singapore and Indonesia are members of ASEAN, which also
includes Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand and Than
Shwe's visits were his first to ASEAN nations since he became
chairman of SLORC in 1992.
As well as talks on economic cooperation, Than Shwe was also
expected to discuss the prospect of Burma's participation in ASEAN
activities.
"Singapore will help Myanmar (Burma) integrate itself into the
region and develop like the countries of ASEAN," Singapore Prime
Minister Goh Chok Tong said during a speech at a dinner yesterday.
He said Burma was a country of vast resources and substantial
growth potential.
But Goh also told Than Shwe that Burma should continue improving
its economic and political climate if it wanted to attract more
foreign investment.
Earlier this week, Singapore Technologies Industrial Corporation
said it had signed a memorandum of understanding to build a $US360
million ($A500.47 million) international airport in Mandalay.
Analysts said Than Shwe's visits were a sign of ASEAN's
divergence from efforts to isolate Burma and of a desire to take
advantage of its rich resources and cheap labour.
"Than Shwe's visit is in keeping with the ASEAN strategy not to
ostracise the country because of its human rights record but to
help it to integrate with the region," said Kripa Sridharan, a
political scientist at the National University of Singapore.
"Given that there is a positive trend in Myanmar to liberalise
its economy, and efforts by some ASEAN countries to diversify, one
could expect strengthening of cooperation between ASEAN and
Myanmar," said Kevin Chew, economist at Baring Securities in
Malaysia.
Burma, with rich natural resources and an abundant supply of
cheap labour, offered an opportunity to Singapore and Malaysia to
relocate some of their labour intensive industries in that country
to cut costs, Chew said.
ASEAN has adopted a policy of "constructive engagement" with
Burma, in contrast to the policies of some Western countries which
have pegged better relations on improvements in human rights,
democracy and narcotics suppression.
Goh visited Burma last year to discuss opening up its economy
and encouraging foreign investment. He was only the second head of
government to visit Burma since its military rulers crushed
pro-democracy protests in 1988.
Today, Than Swee called on senior Singapore leaders, including
Senior Minister Kuan Yew and Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
He also rode in an underground train and met Mah Bow Tan, Minister
for Transport and Communications.
REUTER pjw/de