US disappointed over Burma Rebuff

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

US Disappointed Over Myanmar Rebuff

 .c The Associated Press 

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is disappointed that Myanmar rejected
plans by the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to make an official visit
to that country, the State Department said Wednesday. 

If Bill Richardson had been allowed to visit, spokesman James P. Rubin said,
he would have encouraged the Myanmar's military government to begin meaningful
dialogue with the democratic opposition in the southeast Asian country. 

Leaders of Myanmar, formerly Burma, said Tuesday that Richardson will not be
allowed to visit so long as their government's top officials are barred from
entering the United States. As U.N. ambassador, Richardson is a member of
President Clinton's Cabinet. 

In Myanmar, Richardson had hoped to meet with government officials as well as
dissident leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate. 

Richardson leaves Saturday on a tour that will take him to Bahrain and the
South Asian countries Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 

AP-NY-04-08-98 1610EDT