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NEWS FORM INDIA (r)
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BURMA AN ANOMALY IN ASEAN, SAYS US
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Japan claims Asean had hidden agenda in ignoring the West
By Michele Cooper
Kuala Lumpur, July 27: US secretary of state Madeleine
Albright launched a bitter attack on Burma on Sunday as
Asean's newest member met its Western critics for the first
time as an equal in a regional forum.
Calling military-ruled Burma "an anomaly within the Asean,"
Ms Albright said it was the only member "where the state
and society are fundamentally at odds" and a state whose
government "protects and profits from the drug trade."
"Burma is inside Asean, but it will remain outside the
Southeast Asia mainstream and isolated from the global
economy until accountable government is restored. That is
not an admonition but an objective fact we must
acknowledge," Ms Albright said.
Ms Albright was representing the United States here in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum,
which also included new member Burma.
A Burmese senior official said foreign minister Ohn Gyaw
had come prepared to brief the forum on progress toward
writing a new Constitution but has also clarified the
"misconceptions" of some participants. "We would not like
to discuss internal matters, but since they mentioned our
country, we were prepared to explain to them just to
correct those misconceptions," the official said.
Burma was admitted to Asean on Wednesday along with Laos,
despite Western contentions that Rangoon should be isolated
because of its record on human and political rights. Asean
held that a policy of "constructive engagement" in Burma
was the best way to encourage reforms. But a Japanese
official, speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, said
Asean had a "hidden agenda" in ignoring US and European
Union objections toe Burmese membership.
Asean was in fact using Burma's membership as a
counterweight to China's influence over the country, the
official said, noting that China had long been the "open
door" to Burma, whose other borders are largely closed. The
European Union, meanwhile, assailed Burma's ruling junta
for its record on political and human rights.
Luxembourg foreign minister Jacques Poos, representing the
EU, said that aid to Burma was "out of the question" until
the ruling junta moved toward political reforms.
"Reform in Burma has moved at a snail"s pace," Australian
foreign minister Alexander Downer commented on Sunday.
On Wednesday Britain signalled its objection to Burma's
membership by ordering its top envoy to stay away from the
Asean admission ceremony.
Ms Albright said the ruling junta in Rangoon must talk to
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and she asked Asean to
use its influence to that end. " also hope Asean will
broaden its engagement with Burma," she said, adding, "To
play a constructive role in promoting dialogue inside
Burma, it is important that we all engage in our own
dialogue with those who represent the popular will."
In bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference,
Ms Albright urged Asean ministers to meet Ms Aung San Suu
Kyi when they travelled to Rangoon, officials said.
Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy swept general
elections in 1990, but the junta refused to acknowledge the
results and hand over power, (AFP)
The Asian Age 28 July
1997 News and Information Bureau, All Burma Students League
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