BURMA DEBATE VOA 10/3

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

DATE=3/10/97
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-35905
TITLE= BURMA DEBATE
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN CONSIDERING HOW TO 
RESPOND TO THE SITUATION IN BURMA, WHERE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE 
RULING MILITARY AND DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT REMAIN HIGH.  U-S 
OFFICIALS HAVE MET IN RECENT WEEKS TO DECIDE IF CONDITIONS ARE 
BAD ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY SANCTIONS -- SPECIFICALLY A BAN ON NEW U-S 
INVESTMENT IN BURMA.  THERE HAS BEEN MORE PRESSURE FROM CONGRESS,
AS WELL AS HUMAN RIGHTS AND BURMESE DEMOCRACY GROUPS.  AS V-O-A'S
DAN ROBINSON REPORTS, ONE U-S LAWMAKER SAYS THERE COULD BE 
TOUGHER LEGISLATION ON BURMA IF THE ADMINISTRATION DOES  NOT  
DECIDE SOON WHAT STEPS TO TAKE:

TEXT:  AFTER YEARS OF WATCHING THE SITUATION IN BURMA, AND 
SEVERAL REVIEWS OF POLICY, THE ADMINISTRATION FACES INCREASING 
PRESSURE TO ADOPT AN EVEN TOUGHER POSITION TOWARD THE MILITARY 
GOVERNMENT IN RANGOON.

A LAW PASSED BY CONGRESS LAST YEAR REQUIRES THE PRESIDENT TO 
PROHIBIT NEW INVESTMENT BY U-S COMPANIES IF THE RANGOON JUNTA 
CARRIES OUT "MASSIVE" REPRESSION AGAINST DEMOCRACY FORCES, OR 
HARMS OR ARRESTS PRINCIPLE DEMOCRACY FIGURE AUNG SAN SUU KYI.

// OPT //  IN 1990, WHILE AUNG SAN SUU KYI WAS UNDER HOUSE 
ARREST, HER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (N-L-D) WON AN ELECTION
PERMITTED BY THE MILITARY TWO YEARS AFTER TROOPS VIOLENTLY 
CRUSHED NATIONWIDE PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS.  THE JUNTA NEVER
ALLOWED AN N-L-D GOVERNMENT TO TAKE POWER.  AUNG SAN SUU KYI WAS 
RELEASED FROM HOUSE ARREST IN 1995.  // END OPT //

SINCE LAST YEAR, BURMA'S MILITARY HAS TIGHTENED RESTRICTIONS ON 
AUNG SAN SUU KYI, AND HAS JAILED KEY MEMBERS OF HER NATIONAL 
LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY PARTY (N-L-D). 

IN HER LATEST COMMENTS, THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE DESCRIBED 
WHAT SHE CALLED "PERSECUTION OF UNPRECEDENTED SEVERITY."  SHE 
SAYS THE LIVES OF N-L-D MEMBERS ARE BEING THREATENED AND SAYS THE
JUNTA IS MOVING TO ELIMINATE HER PARTY AS A POLITICAL FORCE.

THE COHEN-FEINSTEIN AMENDMENT WAS NAMED AFTER ITS PRINCIPLE 
CO-SPONSORS -- FORMER SENATOR AND NOW DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM 
COHEN, AND DEMOCRATIC SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN.  IT WAS A MILDER 
VERSION OF OTHER PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT CALLED FOR MANDATORY 
SANCTIONS. 

LAST MONTH, A BI-PARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS SENT A LETTER TO THE 
WHITE HOUSE URGING THE PRESIDENT TO PROMPTLY ASSESS THE 
COHEN-FEINSTEIN LAW AND PLANS TO IMPLEMENT SANCTIONS. 

SO FAR, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID ONLY THAT THIS ASSESSMENT IS 
UNDERWAY.  IN A V-O-A INTERVIEW, SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY, A 
DEMOCRAT FROM VERMONT, SAYS LAWMAKERS WILL COME UP WITH TOUGHER 
LEGISLATION IF THEY DO  NOT  GET A SATISFACTORY RESPONSE:  

                        /// LEAHY ACT ///

         LAST YEAR WE STARTED OUT WITH STRONGER LEGISLATION, BUT 
         BACKED OFF BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GIVE THE ADMINISTRATION 
         SOME WIGGLE ROOM [FLEXIBILITY].  BUT IT APPEARS THAT 
         THEY ARE  NOT  PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO OUR CONCERNS.

                         /// END ACT ///

BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT SAYS A BAN ON NEW INVESTMENT BY U-S 
COMPANIES WOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT, AND THAT ASIAN AND EUROPEAN 
COMPANIES WOULD EASILY MAKE UP FOR ANY LOSSES.  

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE DEBATE IS WHETHER TOUGHER ACTION 
WOULD REMOVE "LEVERAGE" WASHINGTON HAS TO INFLUENCE THE RANGOON 
JUNTA -- POSSIBLY LEADING TO EVEN MORE REPRESSION AGAINST THE 
DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.  

SENATOR LEAHY SAYS BURMA'S MILITARY SHOULD KNOW THERE WILL BE, AS
HE PUTS IT, "CONSEQUENCES" DEPENDING ON HOW IT RESPONDS TO 
PRESSURE FOR CHANGE:

                        /// LEAHY ACT ///

         SLORC (BURMA'S STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL) 
         HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES.  AND CERTAINLY THOSE 
         OF US WHO HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS WILL PUSH FOR 
         TOUGHER LEGISLATION, BECAUSE THEY HAVE  NOT  REACTED.  
         AND IT IS  NOT  A PARTISAN OR IDEOLOGICAL THING.

                         /// END ACT ///

ADDING TO THE PRESSURE, THREE MAJOR U-S NEWSPAPERS -- THE 
WASHINGTON POST, NEW YORK TIMES, AND WALL STREET JOURNAL -- 
RECENTLY PUBLISHED STRONGLY-WORDED EDITORIALS URGING THE 
ADMINISTRATION TO IMPLEMENT THE LAW AND PROHIBIT NEW U-S 
INVESTMENT. 

AT THE SAME TIME, U-S BUSINESS INTERESTS HAVE STEPPED UP THEIR 
OWN CAMPAIGN AGAINST SANCTIONS, SAYING SUCH A STEP WOULD DO 
NOTHING TO HELP BRING ABOUT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER IN BURMA.

                        /// REST OPT ///

SINCE THE 1988 MILITARY CRACKDOWN ON BURMA'S DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT, 
THE UNITED STATES HAS BANNED AID TO BURMA -- EXCEPT FOR 
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SOME COOPERATION IN ANTI-NARCOTICS 
SUPPRESSION.  LAST YEAR, PRESIDENT CLINTON BANNED VISITS TO THE 
UNITED STATES BY MEMBERS OF BURMA'S RULING JUNTA OR THEIR 
FAMILIES.  (SIGNED)