Press Briefing by the U.S. Dept. of

[freeburma@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Press Briefing by the U.S. Dept. of State on May 31, 1996

Attn: Burma Newsreaders
Re: Press Briefing by the U.S. Dept. of State on May 31, 1996
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                  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
                    DAILY PRESS BRIEFING 
                                                 DPB #86 
 
               FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1996, 2:45 P.M. 
                      ------------
  
     Q     Did you have a conversation with Capitol Hill 
about possible sanctions to Myanmar? 
 
       MR. BURNS:  Excuse me?  A conversation with . . . ? 
 
       Q     With Congress -- additional sanctions to Myanmar? 
 
       MR. BURNS:  Congressman Richardson? 
 
       Q     No.  To Congress about additional sanctions of 
Myanmar -- Burma? 
 
       MR. BURNS:  On Burma?  Thank you.  We are involved in 
conversations with Senator McConnell and Senator Moynihan 
and others about sanctions on Burma. 
 
       We retain the option to consider further sanctions 
should the situation there warrant it, if we decide that 
that is the proper way for us to try to influence the 
Burmese authorities.  We would note that they have released 
60 of the detainees from last week.  But that means they've 
only released a minority of the detainees.  Well over 100 
people remain detained -- under detention -- in Rangoon.  
There's no reason for that. 
 
       We still maintain our very strong support for the 
democracy activists led by Aung San Suu Kyi. 
 
       Q     You don't have an envoy to announce? 
 
       MR. BURNS:  I don't have an envoy to announce, except 
to say -- we didn't cover this in the briefing yesterday; we 
did after the briefing -- that the United States does intend 
to send a envoy to Burma and to neighboring states to press 
home our point that we all ought to be concerned and speak 
out against the anti-democratic actions of the Burmese 
authorities. 
 
       Thank you. 
 
       (Press briefing concluded at 3:22 p.m.)

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