Myanmar tells Manila disciplined de

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

Myanmar tells Manila disciplined democracy needed

By Ruben Alabastro 

MANILA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Philippines on Tuesday urged visiting Myanmar
(Burma) leader Than Shwe to reconcile with his political foes, and police
tried to shield him from protesters by slipping the general through the side
door of his hotel. 

Apparently responding to Manila's call for increased contacts between
Myanmar's ruling military junta and its opponents, Prime Minister Than Shwe
told his hosts that his country's goal was a modern state under disciplined
democracy. 

``The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the new government
comprising many new members from the younger generation has been constituted
to impart more dynamism in our efforts to attain our goal of a modern
developed state with a disciplined democratic system,'' Than Shwe said at
state banquet in his honour. 

Yangon's (Rangoon) military regime was previously called the State Law and
Order Restoration Council until it was renamed the SPDC after a reshuffle of
key military figures in government. 

Than Shwe, who is also SPDC chairman, went into talks with President Fidel
Ramos soon after arriving for a three-day visit. 

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs indicated one of its major
concerns about Myanmar was to see peace between its ruling junta and the
opposition National League for Democracy led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi. 

``The Department reiterated the Philippines' support for the efforts of the
Myanmar government towards national reconciliation,'' the department said in a
statement. 

``The Philippine government encourages the Myanmar government to double its
efforts for the accomplishment of this noble objective,'' it added. 

About two dozen protesters from the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines, spurred
by an appeal from Suu Kyi, waited for Than Shwe in front of a hotel where he
was to stay, but security officers led him in through a side door. 

Two protesters managed to get into the hotel, shouting ``murderer'' and
``dictator, you're not welcome in the Philippines.'' 

In a videotape shown to reporters by the Free Burma group, Suu Kyi had said:
``I hope the people of the Philippines and the government will make it quite
clear to General Than Shwe that the Philippines is the bastion of democracy.''

Suu Kyi's message was taped by one of the group's members during a meeting
with journalists in Yangon on February 11, the group said. 

At the banquet, Ramos said the Philippines was ready to help Myanmar develop
into a ``progressive and multi-party democratic state under a new state
constitution.'' 

In October Ramos became the first leader of the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) to visit Yangon after it joined the regional grouping
last July. 

``You can be assured that...the Philippine government and the president will
try to encourage our friends from Myanmar to pursue their efforts towards
national reconciliation...(the) bringing together of all sides,'' Philippine
Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon told reporters. 

The European Union last year refused to attend a meeting with ASEAN officials
because of Myanmar's presence.