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Burma Related Articles from The Str
Subject: Burma Related Articles from The Straits Times, Business Time
Business Time
? BRUSSELS
EU takes stiff line against Myanmar
Statements surprise Asean diplomats, spark new concerns
By Shada Islam
E
UROPEAN Union (EU) Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg issued their
strongest warning yet on Myanmar's membership of Asean.
The 15 EU governments warned Asean not to press for Myanmar's
participation in the EU-Asean cooperation agreement and said Yangon will
not be asked to attend an EU-Asia summit in London next spring.
The strong line surprised Asean diplomats and triggered concern that the
issue could become a stumbling block in Europe's expanding relations
with the region.
Earlier this month, EU governments simply "took note" of Asean's
decision to embrace Myanmar. But officials say several European
governments, including London's new Labour government, were unhappy with
the soft stance taken by Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo, the
current president of the EU Council of Ministers.
"There was pressure to sharpen the language and deliver a stronger
warning to Asean," one EU diplomat said.
"That first statement was issued without too much preparation. This new
declaration is the culmination of serious discussion in the EU Council
of Ministers."
EU foreign ministers now express "serious concern" at "the deteriorating
human rights situation in Myanmar" and urge the country's military
authorities to release all pro-democracy prisoners.
The EU has cut off high-level contacts with Myanmar and withdrawn trade
preferences. In Luxembourg, the ministers said they would study
"possible additional measures" in September.
EU officials say the new line reflects continuing scepticism over
Asean's policy of constructive engagement, arguing this has not improved
the human rights situation.
"Asean must realise Myanmar cannot join the EU-Asean cooperation
agreement," one EU diplomat said. "Such an accession would never be
accepted by our parliaments or our public opinion."
Hong Kong Standard
RANGOON: Burma's military intelligence chief has accused the United
States of sponsoring terrorist attacks against top figures in the ruling
junta.
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt said US government funds for supporting
the Burmese pro-democracy movement had been used to finance terrorist
activities by exiled opposition groups.
He accused the prime minister of the National Government of the
Coalition of Burma (NCGUB), Sein Win, of masterminding the attempted
assassination of the chief of staff of the armed forces,
Lieutenant-General Tin Oo, at his Rangoon home in April.
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said Burmese military intelligence had foiled another
assassination attempt on another unnamed Burmese leader and other bids
to bomb the Chinese and Indonesian embassies in Rangoon and electrical
power supply installations serving the city.
``All these acts were aimed at destabilising the nation and to cause
unrest amongst the public and students, using all kinds of methods
including sabotage and to discredit Burma in the eyes of the world,'' he
said.
``These organisations were, in a roundabout or indirect manner,
supporting (Aung San Suu Kyi's) National League for Democracy (NLD).''
He said the prime movers in these activities were relatives of Ms Suu
Kyi. Mr Sein Win is Ms Suu Kyi's cousin, while the main contacts for the
National League for Democracy with the NCGUB were also her relatives, he
said.
He identified two US citizens, who were allegedly connected with labour
organisations, of acting as couriers for money that was handed to Ms Suu
Kyi.
They had come to Rangoon in the guise of tourists in January, bringing
more than US$13,000 (HK$101,400) that was passed to the NLD.
``Only the culprits themselves will know if this money is being used by
Aung San Suu Kyi personally or the NLD,'' he said.
``The active participation of US citizens in these terrorist acts shows
that secret US organisations were directly involved in these sabotage
activities.''
He claimed some of the US government's money _ more than US$2 million
this year appropriated for supporting democracy in Burma _ had funded
anti-junta groups operating on the Thai border and inside Burma.
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt displayed documents, seized explosives and
communication equipment as apparent proof of the anti-government
activities.
He said in supporting these activities, the United States had
contravened its 1990 neutrality act forbidding US involvement in any
terrorist activities overseas. _ AFP
Ramos defends membership of Burma in Asean
MANILA: Philippine President Fidel Ramos has defended the decision of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to accept Burma as one of its
members, saying it will benefit that country's economy and enhance its
international acceptance.
``Some countries may object to Asean's incorporation of Myanmar,'' Mr
Ramos said. ``But to us in Asean, that Myanmar is part of the Southeast
Asian family is reason enough to bring her into the fold.''
Despite strong criticisms of its human rights record, Burma won
admission to Asean along with Cambodia and Laos at a meeting of Asean
foreign ministers on 31 May. They will formally become Asean members in
July.
The military has ruled Burma, which it calls Myanmar, since 1962.
``We are confident that membership in Asean will have an ameliorating
effect on Myanmar's economy and society and will gradually draw the
Yangon regime into the international community,'' Mr Ramos said.
``Similar positive effects are expected in regard to Cambodia and Laos
by virtue of their membership in Asean,'' he said.
The Philippines' present partners in the regional bloc are Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mr Ramos made the remarks in his annual ``Report to the Nation'' speech
in which he cited reforms he had instituted that helped revived the
Philippine economy and remove it's reputation as the ``sick man of
Asia.''
In his speech, Mr Ramos said membership in Asean has become the
``cornerstone'' of Philippine foreign policy, which uses diplomacy to
promote the Philippines' economic, political and social development and
enhance regional peace and prosperity.
He said that uniting all the 10 Southeast Asian countries, a dream of
the Asean founders 30 years ago, ``will exert a moderating influence on
Asia-Pacific affairs, particularly on the conflicting claims to portions
of the islands of the strategic South China Sea.''
Mr Ramos was referring to the territorial dispute over the Spratly
Islands.
China, Vietnam and Taiwan claim all of the islands, believed to be rich
in oil and gas, while the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim some of
them. _ AP
South China Morning Post
Saturday June 28 1997
Burma
Bombings funded by US, says spy chief
AGENCIES in Rangoon
Powerful intelligence chief Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt yesterday
accused the United States of being behind terrorist attacks in Burma.
The allegation came as he announced the arrests of democracy activists
for plotting to blow up foreign embassies and government leaders in the
capital, Rangoon, and passing money and documents to pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
US charge d'affaires in Rangoon Kent Wiedemann called the accusation "an
absolute lie".
In a press conference barred to foreign reporters and diplomats, General
Khin Nyunt - one of the top four members of the military Government -
rounded on the economic sanctions imposed on Burma by US President Bill
Clinton in April because of the regime's mounting repression against the
democracy movement.
He said the US had "terminated all aid programmes extended to the
Government and transferred assistance to underground armed groups and
terrorist groups".
Despite General Khin Nyunt's claims that sanctions would have no effect
on the economy, investor confidence seems to be eroding.
The currency, the kyat, this week hit 202 against the US dollar, after
trading at 178 recently.
General Khin Nyunt said that in June his men had arrested ten people,
including two members of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy and two members of the National Coalition Government of the
Union of Burma - a pro-democracy exile group based in the United States.
The latter two were found to have plastic explosives, fuse wires and
detonators, the general said.
He said they planned to "carry out bomb attacks on the Chinese and
Indonesian embassies in Rangoon and the residences of Burma's leaders".
He displayed a rice cooker he was was used to smuggle in the explosives.
The exile group is led by Sein Win, a cousin of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, and
consists of Burmese who were elected to Parliament in a 1990 election
the military refused to honour because it lost by a landslide.
The intelligence chief accused them of sending a letter bomb to the home
of General Tin Oo, another government leader, in March.
The bomb killed General Tin Oo's 33-year-old daughter but he was
unharmed.
"Sein Win has been dancing to the strings pulled by his American puppet
masters," General Khin Nyunt said.
Mr Wiedemann said the funds to which General Khin Nyunt referred were
mostly allocated to groups on the Thai border, and included humanitarian
assistance to Karen refugees who had fled Burma.
The Straits Times
US think-tank backs Asean decision to admit Myanmar
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KUALA LUMPUR -- A US think-tank has supported Asean's decision to admit
Myanmar into the regional grouping so that the nation could be
encouraged to embrace democracy in future.
Heritage Foundation, a leading US research foundation, agrees with
Asean's method of constructive engagement rather than the US
government's decision to isolate Myanmar until it improves its
human-rights record.
Mr Edwin Mees, a former US Attorney-General who is on the foundation's
Board of Trustees, said yesterday: "We hope that the influences and
contacts of Asean countries would encourage Myanmar's move towards
democracy."
He brushed aside the notion that the Asean decision would hurt its ties
with the US government "as the objective of both governments is quite
the same".
Asean groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
and the Philippines.
On Friday, the foundation and Malaysia's Institute for Policy Research
signed a memorandum of co-operation to help bridge differences and
enhance bilateral co-operation.
The foundation works closely with members of Congress, the White House,
the State and Defence departments, and other executive branches. --
Bernama.
"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE. ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION." "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."
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