U.S. denounces jailing of dissident

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Subject: U.S. denounces jailing of dissidents in Burma (fwd)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 15:30:05 PDT
Newsgroups: clari.world.asia.indochina.misc, clari.news.issues.human_rights,
    clari.usa.gov.policy.foreign.misc, clari.world.asia.indochina,
    clari.news.issues.misc, clari.usa.gov.policy.foreign
Subject: U.S. denounces jailing of dissidents in Burma


	 WASHINGTON (Reuter) - The United States Thursday denounced
the reported jailing of 11 Burmese dissidents and called on
Burma's military rulers to start a dialogue with the opposition.
	 The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) reported
the seven-year sentences Wednesday. It said those jailed
included Win Htein, personal assistant to the party's Nobel
Peace prize-winning leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
	 State Department spokesman Glyn Davies said Washington was
concerned by the reports.
	 ``We view this as another in a series of oppressive actions
by the regime to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters
from exercising their rights,'' he told reporters.
	 Davies described as ominous recent actions by Burma's ruling
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). ``The SLORC has
violated with impunity the human rights of the Burmese people,''
he said.
	 ``What remains to happen in Burma ... is that (the
authorities) enter into a genuine dialogue with the National
League for Democracy ... That is the key to reconciliation in
that country,'' he added.
	 Davies said the United States had not ruled out sanctions
against Burma and continued to discuss firmer measures against
the Rangoon government with regional powers including Japan,
Thailand and Australia.
	 Washington gained little support for such measures, however,
at a meeting last month of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN).
	 In a separate development, Davies said deputy assistant
secretary of state Kent Wiedemann had been appointed new U.S.
charge d'affaires in Burma and would take up his post in
October. He succeeds Marilyn Meyers.
--
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