Malaysia reinforce key role for Bur

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Subject: Malaysia reinforce key role for Burma.


	
		Malaysia reinforce key role for Burma
		*************************************

	KUALA LUMPUR: Burma's status as a key regional player, which has 
been growing steadily despite Western concerns, has been reinforced by 
Malausia's red-carpet reception for General Than Shwe, head of Rangoon's 
ruling military junta.

	General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Law and Order 
Restoration Council, was officially welcomed in his capacity as Burmese 
head of State by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or King, Tuanku Ja'afar, and 
later met the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, for an hour.

	He featured on the front of Malaysian newspaper yesterday in a 
large colour picture with the King and was also shown on inside pages 
shaking hands with the Prime MInister.

	Dr Mahathir told General Than Shwe, who is making his first visit 
to Malaysia, that he would like to see Burma become a member of the 
Association of South-East Asia Nations next year, when the body 
celebrates its 30th anniversary.

	Burma, which was accorded observer status at the ASEAN foreign 
ministers' meeting in Jakarta last month and also attended the ASEAN 
Regional Forum as an observer, is not scheduled for full membership until 
1998.

	The Burmese regime emerged unscathed from the Jakarta meetings 
despite expectations of a confrontation with ASEAN's Western dialogue 
partners.

	Although they questioned Foreign Minister Mr Ohn Gyaw about 
SLORC's suspression of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for 
Democracy and the circumstances surrounding the death of James Nichols,a 
friend of Ms Suu Kyi and honorary consul for several European countries, 
they did not oppose the Burmese presence.

	The Malausian Foreign Minister, Mr Abdullah Badawi, who attended 
the meeting between General Than Shwe and Dr Mahathir, said he did not 
believe there would be problems with ASEAN's dialogue partners when Burma 
joined the grouping.

	He said before the Jakarta meeting there was talk about some 
dialohue partners being unhappy and unlikely to welcome Burma's 
participation in the ARF.

	"However, as it turned out they welcomed its participation," he 
said. "The (Burma) issue was certainly sensitive, but we were able to 
deal with it and the discussion were very frank."

	Mr Badawi said Dr Mahathir and General Than Shwe discussed ways 
to improve bilateral relations and talked about regional matters.

	There were clear indication from both sides that the developing 
relationship between Malaysia and Burma is driven mainly by commercial 
considerations.

	Malaysia and Burma signed an Economic, Scientific and Technical 
Co-operation Agreement and agreed to conclude other arrangements aimed at 
enhancing trade and investment.

	At a State banquet in honour of General Than Shwe, Tuanku Ja'afar 
said Malaysia was the sixth largest investor in Burma, with total 
investments of $M568 million, and forecast more economic collaboration.

	Last year Malaysian imports from Burma amounted to $M103 million 
while Malaysian exports to Burma totalled $M580 million.

	General Than Shwe said a great variety of business opportunities 
existed in Burma.

	With the "expertise and technology from Malaysia" they could be 
exploited to the mutual benefit of the two countries.

	General Than Shwe is accompanied by a 49-member delegation 
including SLORC seceraty Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, who is considered 
to be a key figure in the junta.

	They will spend two of their five days in Malaysia visiting 
Penang, the main centre of high-technology manufacturing.

[By Ian Stewart,Kuala Lumpur, 14 August 1996].

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