[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

The BurmaNet News: July 27-28, 1998



------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------

The BurmaNet News: July 27-28, 1998
Issue #1058 (Part 1 of 2)

Noted in Passing: "Burma is on the edge of an explosion because the junta's
inability to manage the economy and the society is finally outpacing their
capacity to frighten people into submission."  - Prime Minister Sein Win
(see NCGUB: JUNTA'S INCOMPETENCE MAY CAUSE EXPLOSION)

HEADLINES:
==========
(Part 1)
VOA: STANDOFF 
THE NATION: SUU KYI MAINTAINS STANDOFF 
NCGUB: JUNTA'S INCOMPETENCE MAY CAUSE EXPLOSION 
BKK POST: SUU KYI IN SECOND CLASH WITH MILITARY 
SPDC: INFORMATION SHEET NO. A-0521(I) 
REUTERS: ALBRIGHT SAYS US FEARS FOR MYANMAR'S SUU KYI 
REUTERS: MYANMAR JUNTA BLASTS US FOR SUU KYI COMMENTS 
SCMP: RISE UP AGAINST JUNTA, BURMESE URGED 
(Part 2)
STRAITS TIMES: SIAZON CALLS FOR OPEN DIALOGUE 
THE NATION: AUSTRALIA URGES BURMA TO MAKE PROGRESS 
ASAHI (JAPAN): JAPAN TO JOIN CALLS FOR DEMOCRACY
ASIAWEEK (LETTER): HANDING OVER 
ASIAWEEK: DIVIDED WE STAND 
THE NATION: TOWARDS AN ENHANCED INTERACTION
ASIAWEEK (LETTER): REINVENTING AUNG SAN
****************************************************************

VOICE OF AMERICA: STANDOFF
27 July, 1998 by Ron Corben
 
[BurmaNet Editor's Note: Sources from Rangoon report that as of sundown,
today (Tuesday, July 28, 1998), Aung San Suu Kyi remained in her car.]

Intro:  Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in the fourth day of
a stand-off with Burmese authorities who have blocked her from meeting with
her supporters outside Rangoon. Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, Aung San
Suu Kyi has refused to leave her car, which is surrounded by government
troops.

Text:  Western diplomats say Aung San Suu Kyi began another day of the
stand-off with authorities about 40 kilometers southwest of Rangoon.  The
leader of the National League for Democracy, or NLD, has refused to move
from the spot since Friday, rejecting official requests by the ruling
military junta that she return home.

Aung San Suu Kyi was attempting to go a town 160 kilometers west of Rangoon
to meet with party members when authorities stopped her car.

NLD vice chairman Tin Oo has expressed hope a compromise could be reached,
along the lines of the one that ended a similar stand-off earlier this
month.  That confrontation ended when the military brought the people she
was trying to meet, to her.

Aung San Suu Kyi's car has been surrounded by soldiers, sandbags and barbed
wire to prevent her from driving on.  Burmese officials accuse the
opposition leader of trying to spark unrest, by attempting to travel
without a government security escort.

The stand-off comes as Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, speaking in
Manila, warned of a political explosion in Burma without dialogue between
the government and the opposition.

The NLD has called for the parliament elected in 1990 to be convened by
August 21st.  The NLD won an overwhelming majority in that election, but
the Burmese military has never allowed the parliament to meet.   (Signed) 

****************************************************************

THE NATION: SUU KYI MAINTAINS STANDOFF
27 July, 1998 

RANGOON -- Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday defied
junta officials for a third day by refusing to turn back from the spot
where she was stopped while driving to meet supporters, officials said.

The frustrated military arranged transport to take foreign journalists to
the site, 26 kilometres northwest of the capital, and issued a statement
saying it had repeatedly asked the National League for Democracy (NLD)
chief to return to Rangoon, Agence France-Presse reports.

Aung San Suu Kyi, accompanied by a driver and an NLD aide, was stopped by
police on Friday morning as she attempted to travel to the town of Bessein,
150 km southwest of Rangoon, witnesses said.

Brig-Gen Aung Nwe, the country's No 2 police official, was dispatched to
deal with the incident but Aung San Suu Kyi refused to speak with him, the
witnesses added. 

****************************************************************

NCGUB: JUNTA'S INCOMPETENCE MAY CAUSE "EXPLOSION" 
27 July, 1998 

For Immediate Release

For more information, contact the NCGUB Press Office at +1 (202) 393 7342
PM SAYS JUNTA'S INCOMPETENCE MAY CAUSE "EXPLOSION"

Five New Surveys From Think-Tanks, Political Risk Consulting Firms And
Newspapers Show Junta Failing On Every Front:
	* among three worst human rights abusers;
	* near bottom on economic freedom;
	* world's fifth riskiest investment climate;
	* worst deadbeat on international credit;
	* among top six overspenders on arms.

The N.C.G.U.B. today welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's
recognition that Burma is on the verge of an "explosion" and called
attention to the underlying causes of the confrontation.  Prime Minister
Sein Win said that "Burma is on the edge of an explosion because the
junta's inability to manage the economy and the society is finally
outpacing their capacity to frighten people into submission.  The generals
can't govern but they won't leave.  Consider their record."  He was
pointing to five new surveys by respected think-tanks, political risk
consulting firms and newspapers that show the extent of the regime's
misrule, which is damaging both Burma and its neighbors.

*The junta scores among worst three human rights abusers:  
In it's annual Human Rights Index, the London Observer ranked the junta one
of the world's three worst abusers of human rights for its record of
torture, tyranny, killings and persecution. (1)

*Junta near the bottom on economic freedom: 
In its 1998 Index of Economic Freedom, the Heritage Foundation, an American
think-tank, ranked Burma as one of the world's least free countries.  It
scored 140th, tied with Rwanda and just behind the Sudan. (2)  Since the
Heritage Foundation's survey, the situation has deteriorated even more.
The regime is resorting to measures such as jailing currency traders who
trade kyat at market rates rather than government set rates.

*Junta turns Burma into world's fifth riskiest country for investment:  
A new survey of investment risks by Merchant International Group, a
London-based management consultant firm surveyed 7,000 international
companies and found Burma to be the fifth worst investment risk in the
world because of factors including corruption and cronyism. (3)

*The junta scores as the world's worst deadbeat: 
According to a new credit industry survey of exchange delays and collection
experience around the world, the regime has the world's poorest credit
rating with an average seven month delay for the central bank to process
currency exchanges to pay bills. (4)  The basic reason for the freeze on
currency exchange is because the regime appears to have spent at least half
of private sector hard currency deposits on weapons purchases. (5)  Because
the regime stole half of the central bank's hard currency deposits to buy
weapons, it no longer has the reserves to clear other transactions.

*Military regime among six worst overspenders on arms:  
In its annual survey of weapons purchases, The Bonn International Centre
for Conversion ranked Burma's military regime near the very top for levels
of military spending. The Bonn International Centre for Conversion annual
index on disarmament, demilitarization and demobilization measures the
extent of resources nations spend on armaments.  The 1998 index found that
while most countries in the world continue to decrease military spending,
Burma's junta continues to expend an enormous share of its resources on its
military.  The regime's military spending ranked it among the six worst
overspenders in the world along with Armenia, Sudan, Burundi, Sri Lanka,
and Rwanda. (6)  Despite an economic crisis, Jane's Defence Weekly recently
reported that the junta is about to buy $20 million dollars worth of new
ground-attack aircraft produced by a China/Pakistan joint-venture. (7)
Although the regime can afford to purchase new military hardware, it has
all but zeroed out spending on education and health.  The New York Times
recently reported that maternal mortality rates in Burma are 43 times
higher than in the United States. (8)  A new report by the World Bank finds
that the regime is "shifting the structure of expenditures away from social
services while military spending maintained a large share of around 30
percent."

BURMA CRISIS BACKGROUNDER:

Albright warns of explosion: 
Friday, July 24, 1998, Albright told foreign ministers gathered for an
annual A.S.E.A.N. meeting that "With each passing day the likelihood of a
social breakdown-or explosion-that would undermine regional stability grows
higher; the likelihood that a future government will be able to tackle
Burma's problems becomes smaller...This is a moment of truth and of urgency
for Burma and for all of us concerned about its fate."

Impending showdown over call to convene parliament:  
On May 27, 1998 the National League for Democracy set a deadline of August
21 for the military junta to convene parliament based on the 1990 election
results.  Daw Suu has said that "[w]e are only asking for what is due to
the people of Burma. That should not be looked upon as a provocation or a
confrontation, particularly in view of the fact that we have waited
patiently for eight years."

Third standoff on road to Bassein continues: 
In Burma, armed troops continue to surround Aung San Suu and two drivers
about 51 kilometers west of Rangoon.  Daw Suu has now spent two nights in
the car surrounded by soldiers, sandbags and barbed wire barricades put
there by the government to prevent her from driving on.  The military
stopped her there Friday morning as she was attempting to travel to
Bassein, 160 km west of the capital, to meet some of her party members.

Second standoff on road to Pantanaw: 
On Monday July 19, Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her party were stopped
by military authorities 32 kilometers from the capital.  Daw Suu was en
route to Pantanaw township, 80 kilometers from the Capital, to meet with a
local official of her party, the National League for Democracy. After
stopping the car, authorities put up barricades to prevent her from
proceeding further.  Although military authorities refused to allow the car
to proceed, they ultimately agreed to a compromise and made arrangements
for Daw Suu to meet Dr. Tin Min Htut, an NLD member of Pantanaw Township,
at Anyarsu village. After the meeting, the party returned to Rangoon.

Standoff on the road to Hmawbi:  
July 7-8, 1998. A car carrying N.L.D. leaders including Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi was blocked from traveling to Minhla township.  At about 1020 a.m.,
near Shwe Mya Yar village, 40 miles from Rangoon, The NLD leaders' car was
blocked in front by two military jeeps and in back by another jeep police
vehicle.  As the leaders sat in the car, about 50 persons directed by the
military literally lifted the car off road and put it down by the roadside.
The NLD leaders remained in their car throughout the night. Although
military personnel refused to allow the N.L.D. party to proceed to Minhla,
they gave their word that the N.L.D. leader from Minhla Township could come
to Rangoon on July 10th.  Trusting that the military authorities would
honor their promise, the N.L.D. leaders agreed to the compromise offered by
them and returned to Rangoon that morning.

Arrests, detentions and threats increasing:  
On June 27, military intelligence agents began detaining scores of elected
Members of Parliament and two days later, an article printed in the junta's
official paper implicitly threatened NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with
death. Approximately 80 Members of Parliament have been subjected to
restrictions akin to house-arrest.  They have been ordered not to travel
and to report twice a day to local police stations.  The travel
restrictions violate Burma's law (9) and are contrary to international law.
(10)

Footnotes:
1 See, Human Rights Index: The World Cup that no country wants to win, THE
OBSERVER (London), June 28, 1998, at 10.
2 1998 Index Of Economic Freedom , HERITAGE FOUNDATION REPORTS, Dec., 1997,
at 369.
3 Emiko Terazono, Non-conventional risks hit investment, FINANCIAL TIMES
(London),  May 11, 1998, at 5.
4 2nd Quarter Analysis, MANAGING INTERNATIONAL CREDIT & COLLECTIONS, July
1998, at 1.
5  See U.S. Embassy Rangoon, Foreign Economic Trends Report, Burma, 1997.
6 See Ramesh Jaura, Disarmament: New Study Sees Progress Despite Setbacks,
INTERPRESS SERVICE, July 9, 1998.
7 Myanmar is first export customer for K-8 trainer , JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY,
June 24, 1998.
8 Nicholas D. Kristof, The Human Crisis: With Asia's Economies Shrinking,
Women Are Being Squeezed Out, THE NEW YORK TIMES, June 11, 1998, Section A;
Page 12, Column A.
9  The Burma Code.  Criminal Act 339  and Criminal Act 340 (unlawful
confinement).
10  The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 9, Chapter (13)(1). 

****************************************************************

THE BANGKOK POST: SUU KYI IN SECOND CLASH WITH MILITARY 
26 July, 1998 

LEADER FORCED TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN HER CAR

Burmese military and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi were engaged
in a standoff on a highway yesterday morning, nearly 24 hours after police
stopped the democracy campaigner's car as she tried to travel outside Rangoon.

Ms Suu Kyi, an aide and two drivers spent the night inside her white sedan
surrounded by barbed-wire barricades sand bags and a contingent of soldiers
about 51 km west of the capital.

This is the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner's third attempt this month to
travel outside Rangoon to meet members of her political party, the National
League for Democracy.

The military government has stopped her every time. It denies she is under
house arrest or other unlawful restrictions.

The military issued a statement yesterday that said Ms Suu Kyi was
"bullheaded" and lacked a "humanitarian vision". It accused her of
conspiring to "portray Burma as a lawless and unstable country where the
democratic forces are being suppressed".

During an earlier attempt to travel freely outside the capital, more than
30 soldiers lifted the Nobel laureate's white sedan with her inside it, and
turned it around to face Rangoon.

On the previous two trips on July 7 and 20, a compromise was reached where
the military brought the party member Ms Suu Kyi was attempting to meet to
her car.

Ms Suu Kyi's intention this time was to travel to Bassein, 160 km west of
Rangoon, in the Irrawaddy delta where local authorities are more repressive
than in some other parts of Burma.

She was stopped near Anyarsu village at about 10:15 a.m. on Friday by local
police who called the military authorities.

Her goal, as in previous journeys, was to meet with members of her party
voted into parliament.

SPDC: INFORMATION SHEET NO. A-0521(I) 
28 July, 1998 

[Information Sheets issued under the email addresses MYANPERSP@xxxxxxx and
OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx match those issued by the Directorate of Defence
Services Intelligence (DDSI) in Rangoon, and can be assumed to reflect
official SPDC opinion.]

Special Feature

No Fabrication Please

In the Bangkok Post of 26 July a news item entitled " Suu Kyi in second
clash with military " came out with the usual kind of stereotyped, biased,
distorted and fabricated story.

Appallingly, it also went on to say that Mrs. Aris was forced to spend the
night in her car where in fact the party just was only prevented from
proceeding but never was prevented from returning to Yangon and even has
been requested several times to do so. Factually, the local authorities had
in the previous days approached the party 6 times already and the enquiry
as regards the destination of the trip and other relevant matters were not
responded at all. On 26 July  this morning the request of the relevant
authorities to return to Yangon was again ignored.

Obviously, it is their own rigid and confrontational policy which has made
them spend the night in the car.

Secondly, the Bangkok Post stated that the sedan of Mrs. Aris was
surrounded by barbed-wire barricades, sand-bags and a contigent of soldiers
where in fact there existed none of these around the car.

Thirdly, the Post stated that the Government is putting unlawful
restriction on Mrs. Aris' movements. Again, the Post is speculating upon
the issue from a one-sided view having failed to acknowledge the fact that
Mrs. Aris has been free to generally move about and agitate against the
Government as she ever has. But of course there are limits just as there
are anywhere as to how much unrest a person or an organization may stir up.

The Government on its part with paitience and wisdom has been avoiding the
collision course initiated by the NLD leadership while at the same time
fulfilling its commitment to the nation by maintaining law and order in
keeping the whole country peaceful and stable and most importantly creating
conditions for the children of Myanmar to enjoy the right in pursuit of
their education peacefully and continuously.

****************************************************************

REUTERS: ALBRIGHT SAYS US FEARS FOR MYANMAR'S SUU KYI 
27 July, 1998 by Stephen Powell 

MANILA, July 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said
on Monday Washington was gravely concerned about the health and safety of
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The European Union also expressed alarm over Myanmar's political situation
and urged the government to enter into a dialogue with the opposition and
hold democratic elections.

Albright made Myanmar the central topic at an Asian security conference,
telling reporters at an afternoon briefing that the United States deplored
the military government's refusal to let Suu Kyi travel freely in the
country over the past three days.

``We believe freedom of movement is fundamental and its denial can only
increase the already dangerous state of tension in Burma (Myanmar) and we
are gravely concerned about the health and safety of Aung San Suu Kyi and
will hold the Burmese authorities directly responsible for ensuring her
health and welfare,'' she said.

Albright spoke as Suu Kyi spent a fourth day in her car at a southwestern
village to protest against moves to stop her from meeting members of her
political party. Authorities stopped the opposition leader at the spot on
Friday.

Earlier Albright told a plenary session of the conference that Myanmar
faced a growing danger of social explosion.

With the foreign minister of Myanmar sitting in the same conference hall,
Albright said in an earlier speech: ``With each passing day the likelihood
of a social breakdown -- or explosion -- that would undermine regional
stability grows higher; the likelihood that a future government will be
able to tackle Burma's problems becomes smaller.

``This is a moment of truth and of urgency for Burma and for all of us
concerned about its fate.''

Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel, representing the European
Union, told Reuters that he had departed from his prepared speech to the
conference to give more space to Myanmar. He called the political situation
there ``worse than ever.''

Myanmar's military regime suppressed a pro-democracy movement with heavy
loss of life in 1988 and has held on to power ever since.

Suu Kyi, who has won a Nobel Peace prize for her continuing efforts to
restore democracy, is being prevented by the military from travelling
within the country to meet opposition colleagues.

Albright said the United States supported the call made by Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy (NLD) last month to convene the parliament
the Burmese people elected in 1990.

The NLD won those elections but the military ignored the result.

Twenty-one countries including the United States, China, Russia and Japan
met in Manila for Monday's conference on Asian security topics, where many
issues have been jostling for attention.

The tit-for-tat nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in May were one item of
deep concern at the meeting, ministers said.

In a weekend statement, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
said the group ``deplored the series of nuclear tests conducted recently in
South Asia that exacerbated tension in the region and raised the spectre of
a nuclear arms race.''

ASEAN did not refer by name to India or Pakistan and conference sources
said Western states were pressing for a tougher statement on nuclear
proliferation from Monday's ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting, which
brings together ASEAN and its dialogue partners.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told a news conference there
was very deep concern at the conference about the whole issue of nuclear
testing.

``Only one country at the ARF is putting up any defence of India -- and
that is India,'' he said.

Pakistan was not invited to the meeting.

The United States and the European Union, among others, on Monday
reiterated demands that India and Pakistan adhere to the Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty.

The EU said world stability had been seriously endangered by the decision
of India and Pakistan to carry out nuclear tests.

Another theme overshadowing the Manila meeting is the change of government
in Japan. Japanese officials said prime minister-designate Keizo Obuchi
made a point of visiting Manila on Sunday, despite opposition within his
party, because he wanted to respond to ASEAN's call for Japan to move on
its economy.

To Albright he gave an assurance that he would try to move fast to put
Japan back on a growth path. In a statement issued at the weekend, the nine
Southeast Asian countries in ASEAN had called on Japan ``to expedite the
implementation of its economic measures in support of the economic recovery
of ASEAN countries.''
The delegations, most represented by foreign ministers, met in a closed
session of the ARF, a group established in 1993 as an informal multilateral
dialogue on security in the Asia Pacific region.

Participants in the 21-member forum include all nine members of ASEAN --
Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam -- plus ASEAN observers Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.
The other 10 members are ASEAN's dialogue partners, Australia, Canada,
China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea
and the United States.

****************************************************************

REUTERS: MYANMAR JUNTA BLASTS US FOR SUU KYI COMMENTS 
27 July, 1998 

YANGON, Myanmar (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military junta hit back at the
United States on Monday for criticism of its treatment of opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on Monday she was ``gravely
concerned'' about the health and safety of Suu Kyi and would hold Myanmar's
military government responsible for her welfare.

Albright, in Manila for a regional diplomatic meeting, also said there was
an increasing possibility of a political ``explosion'' in Myanmar that
could undermine regional stability.

``We believe that freedom of movement is fundamental and that its denial
can only increase the already dangerous state of tension in Burma,'' she
said on the sidelines of a regional diplomatic meeting in Manila.

Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for democracy (NLD) and a Nobel
Peace Prize winner, spent a fourth day on Monday in her car at the
southwestern village of Anyarsu about 64 km (20 miles) from Yangon to
protest against government moves to stop her from meeting her party members.

She has refused to budge from the spot where she was stopped by authorities
early on Friday and has rejected a request by the ruling junta to return to
her home in Yangon.

``The accusations, allegations and condemnations thrown against Myanmar is
a typical way of a sole superpower carrying out a witch hunt and acting as
a judge, jury and executioner at the same time to justify her own unfair
activities,'' the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) said in
a statement.

The SPDC said U.S. criticism of Myanmar was designed to coincide with
meetings of foreign ministers of the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in Manila now underway.

Myanmar is a member of the nine-member regional grouping along with Brunei,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

``Actually, this is the line Mrs. Albright is currently taking in Manila.
It is also nothing surprising since we have already anticipated these
moves,'' the SPDC statement said.

``After all it is a concerted and timely fashion-action tailored to
coincide with the ASEAN Ministers Meeting in order for U.S. to berate
Myanmar at the meeting,'' it said.

The NLD issued a statement saying there was some cause for concern over the
health of Suu Kyi and U Hla Pe, the NLD's central executive member, as they
had been under unlawful restrictions since early Friday.

``In case Aung San Suu Kyi becomes ill, she will undergo medical treatment
at her residence with her doctors only. She will not undergo (it) at other
places under anyone's arrangement,'' the NLD said.

The SPDC has accused Suu Kyi and the NLD of turning a deaf ear to
authorities' appeals to refrain from disrupting the reopening of
institutions of higher learning next month. The schools were closed after
student unrest in December 1996.

Confrontation between the NLD and the SPDC has intensified in recent weeks
with the opposition demanding the government convene parliament by August 21.

The NLD swept the last general election in May 1990, but the military
ignored the results and has refused to convene parliament.

The SPDC has retaliated by clamping down on the movements of opposition MPs
in the townships, confining them there and requiring them to report twice
daily to security officials.

****************************************************************

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: RISE UP AGAINST JUNTA, BURMESE URGED 
28 July, 1998 by Frank Longid in Manila 

Burma's junta came under heavy fire yesterday with the Foreign Minister of
fellow Asean member the Philippines urging a popular revolt and US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warning of social and economic collapse.

Their comments, in sharp contrast to the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations Ministerial Meeting's earlier glossing over of Burma's problems,
came as opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's stand-off with police went
into a fourth day.

Police have blocked her latest attempt to visit party members outside
Rangoon. A party source said she was still in her car at a southwestern
village, surrounded by police vehicles.

While Ms Albright chastised Burma's rulers during the Asean Regional Forum
- and had Rangoon's delegates "squirming in their seats", according to
witnesses - Philippine Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon saved his comments
for a news conference.

He lamented "the presence of so many well-educated Burmese abroad".

"I say, if you are really sincere in wanting to change the situation, you
should go home and change it from within."

Mr Siazon said the fight for democratic reforms in Burma should be fought
by the people "in the same sense that we in the Philippines rose up when we
had to overthrow a dictatorship".

"Of course, you risk life and limb, but that's part of the process," he
said, referring to the 1986 military-led "People Power" uprising that ended
Ferdinand Marcos' 20-year rule.

Ms Albright told fellow foreign ministers from Asean and its global
dialogue partners: "Arrests aimed at decimating the opposition continue.

"Members of legal political parties are being prevented from travelling in
their own country. The Burmese economy is falling apart.

"A whole generation of young people is being lost as universities, and now
even high schools, stay closed for fear of unrest."

Ms Albright also chided the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) for
refusing dialogue with Ms Aung San Suu Kyi.

An Asean official said that the mood was tense while Ms Albright made her
speech.

"And when [Burmese Foreign Minister] U Ohn Gyaw spoke, he used the usual
lines, that the SPDC is consulting with the NLD [National League of
Democracy], but that the opposition is setting preconditions to further
dialogue, which is unacceptable."

Ms Albright said: "Criminals who traffic in drugs are still being treated
like honoured citizens, while citizens who speak out for a more lawful
society are still being treated like criminals.

"Burma is also becoming the epicentre of the regional AIDS crisis. Its
response has been denial."

She warned the junta against resorting to "self-isolation", saying: "There
is no way to isolate the Burmese people from . . . the affairs of the
world, and no way to isolate the region from the problems Burma is exporting."

****************************************************************
 (end part 1 of 2)