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Interview given Asahi Shimbun by Ma



Subject: Interview given Asahi Shimbun by Mahathir Mohamad

Asahi Evening News
Thursday, March 13, 1997

Following are excerpts from an exclusive interview given
Asahi Shimbun by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir 
Mohamad on Tuesday.

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On the future of Asean:
"We think ASEAN will grow stronger with the years because the 
membership will certainly increase. Eventually it will take all 
the Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos and
Cambodia. Then we will be a grouping of 500 million people,
perhaps richer than 1.3 billion Chinese or richer than 900 million
Indians. So it is a big market and it is a area that is politically
stable. It will just be an open trading region with very liberal
attitudes toward working with foreign companies."

On granting ASEAN membership to Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos:
"This is a very welcome turn in events because we think that whatever
may be the economic situation in these countries and the political 
situation in these countries, the most important thing is their
commitment to work together in the ASEAN group. Their accession to
ASEAN will be benificial to the existing ASEAN countries and also to
these three countries.
"I think we cannot say that we have really decided ( when to grant the
membership). We cannot really say that we do it on such such a day, but 
as far as one thing goes, Malaysia would really like to have this member-
ship this year. I don't know when. It's not just Malaysia's decision, it 
involves other countries.
"We think it( granting membership to Myanmar) is better if it is soon 
because then I think Myanmar will understand the workings of not only
the free market, but also the democratic system. As you know, previously
Myanmar was completely closed and now it is open. So they have opened up,
so there is already progress."

On the possibility of Myanmar( Burma ), Laos and Cambodia membership 
at the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in July.
"Anything is possible, we'll be looking. I think it's very good. As far
as ASEAN countries are concerned, we are willing to accept. It's good
for those countries as well as for us. You may remember that one time 
the Philippines was under President (Ferdinand) Marcos. Its economy was
bad, Its political was bad, but it remained a member of ASEAN. And in the 
end, the Phillipines learned to restructure their economy and even their
political system, and the politics is doing well.
"So we should respect that, in the case of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, 
association with ASEAN would actually improve their economic recovery
and also their political recovery. We don't believe that you should 
point a gun at people and tell them to reform. We believe in meeting
them, talking to them, having contact with them."

On relationships with Myanmar:
"Vietnam was not accepted by some Western countries, then Vietnam joined
ASEAN. But we went ahead and we worked quite well. In any case, not all
countries are against Myanmar. Nor are all the people of any one country
which does not want to have anying thing to do with Myanmar united in their
opposition.
"We are investing in Myanmar. The fact that the United States doesn't
recognize them doesn't affect our doing bussiness there. And I'm quite
sure that it will not affect Japan, If Japan were to invest in Burma. No
country should tell any other country not to do bussiness with that country.

(Note by BYVA)

"Slorc is not represent to the people of Burma. Mahathir was plead on behalf
of Slorc to invest Japanese farms in Burma. We also believed that 99% of the
people of Burma is not interesting to become a membership of ASEAN. We can 
challange Mr Mahathir and his accomplice, Slorc, if they are really man with a 
little courage, let take a referendum to the people of Burma, willing to become 
a membership of ASEAN or not."

Information Committee
Burma Youth Volunteer Association-Japan