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Suu Kyi pleads for exclusion.




			Suu kyi pleads for exclusion
			****************************

	Burmese pro-democracy leaders Ms Aung San Suu Kyi has issued an 
impassioned plea to ASEAN and its Regional Forum to deny Rangoon's 
inclusion as an observer State.

	In an interview with The Australian on the eve of ASEAN meeting 
in Jakarta, Ms Suu Kyi called on South-East Asian leaders to guide 
Burma's military Government towards a dialogue with her National League 
for Democracy, and to condemn continued human rights abuses in the 
strongest possible terms.

	She also expressed the belief that ASEAN countries were losing 
faith in their softly-softly policy of "constructive engagement" with the 
Burmese junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

	"We must not overlook the fact that the NLD won an overwhelming 
victory in the 1990 elections," Ms Suu Kyi said by telephone from Rangoon.

	"The military has ignored that result and has chosen to use 
force, intimidation and suppression of the Burmese people.

	"Burma is now a country with no law, no justic and no stability."

	"It is unrealistic to expect a country to contribute peace under 
these conditions."

	"The legitimacy of any Burmese government can only be determined 
by the people making their choice freely and without coercion and not by 
some outside power."

	"ASEAN and ARF should wait until Burma's internal problems are 
solved before considering membership."

	Ms Suu Kyi criticised ASEAN's policy of contructive engagement, 
under which States seek to apply subtle pressure for change on the 
Rangoon junta using quiet diplomatic channels.

	"This policy has failed miserably,: she said,

	"Not only is there no improvement but it has encouraged the 
military to significantly escalate its human rights abuses with impunity."

	"Even Thailand has recognised that constructive engagement has 
lost credibility and I suspect that the other ASEAN States are 
uncomfortable with pursuing this policy."

	Ms Suu Kyi called on ASEAN to guide Burma's military leadership 
towards starting a dialogue with the NLD.

	This, she said, was the only way of solving the country's 
internal problems peacefully.

	"I have called for dialogue with the military junta from the 
first day of my release (from house arrest) last year and have repeatedly 
stated that dialogue is the only way to settle our differences 
peacefully," she said.

	"But the military leadership has completely ignored us."

	"Dialogue should be held without pre-conditions. We should 
discuss all points of disagreement and no topics should be ruled out in 
advance."

	Ms Suu Kyi held two long meetings with the ruling military 
generals just prior to her release last year but has declined to disclose 
any details of those meetings.

	She said the question of continued human rights abuses in her 
country was a serious issue urgently in need od address.

	"It is a problem that disturbs me deeply. I want the Jakarta 
meetings to view it with the utmost gravity and call for these abuses, 
which appear to be worsening in recent months, to be stopped 
immediately," Ms Suu Kyi said.

	"The military leadership must be called upon to release all 
political prisoners held in Burmese jails."

	Ms Suu Kyi said that she will very soon announce the draft of the 
NLD's proposed constitution for Burma.

	She would not elaborate on the details but it is known that a key 
element of the new constitution would deny the military any pivotal role 
in a future civilian government and confine it to security and defence 
issues.

	The military Government has announced a draft constitution of its 
own entrenching its power base in any future civilian government.

	It would view any attemp by Ms Suu Kyi to announce a new 
constitution as a direct and serious provocation.

[AFP, The Australian, 18 July 1996].

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