Philippine senator demands end to B

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Subject: Philippine senator demands end to Burma ``brutality 

Philippine senator demands end to Burma ``brutality 
 04:39 a.m. May 30, 1997 Eastern 

 MANILA, May 30 (Reuter) - The head of the Philippines Senate
 foreign relations committee said on Friday that Burma should not be
 allowed to join ASEAN until its rulers ended their ``brutal
 repression.'' 

 The comments by the influential Blas Ople came just as foreign
 ministers of the seven-member Association of South East Asian
 Nations began talks in Malaysia on when to admit Burma to its
 ranks. 

 ``The Senate foreign relations committee strongly condemned the
 brutal repression going on in Burma and demanded rectification of
 this policy before Burma's admission to ASEAN could be seriously
 considered,'' Ople (pronounced ``oplay'') said in a statement. 

 The Philippine government backs the consensus of ASEAN that
 whatever the practices of Burma's military rulers, the country stands
 more chance of improving if it is brought into the group than isolated. 

 ASEAN -- which comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
 Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- has already decided
 to let Burma join sometime this year, along with Cambodia and
 Laos. 

 The United States and the European Union have made no secret of
 their opposition to Burma's admission because of its human rights
 record. 

 Ople said his committee had summoned Foreign Secretary Domingo
 Siazon to explain why the Philippines supported Burma's immediate
 entry while its ruling military council continued to crack down on the
 democratic opposition. 

 Siazon said before leaving for the ASEAN talks that Burma could
 be assured of Manila's support for membership. ^MORE@