Thailand urges dialogue between Mya

[byva@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

                    Thailand urges dialogue between Myanmar factions 
                           07:53 a.m. Aug 21, 1998 Eastern 

                           BANGKOK, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Thailand called on
Friday for dialogue between
                           Myanmar's military government and the opposition,
saying it offered moral support to both
                           sides. 

                           Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra
said his country was closely
                           watching the standoff between Myanmar opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the
                           military. 

                           ``The Thai government is giving moral support to
all factions -- both to the Myanmar
                           govenment and the NLD (National Leaque for
Democracy) and we are continuously
                           supporting efforts for dialogue without
pre-conditions,'' Sukhumbhand said. 

                           Sukhumbhand is due to visit Myanmar on Sunday to
celebrate 50 years of bilateral
                           relations between the two countries. 

                           Asked whether he would push to visit Suu Kyi during
his visit, he replied: ``As a friendly
                           country we are not going to interfere into another
country's internal affairs.'' 

                           Thailand has been pushing for a policy of
``flexible engagement'' within the Association of
                           Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which would allow
member countries to criticise each
                           other and a ``Regional Surveillance System'' to
allow them to monitor each other's affairs. 

                           ``During the visit I will also discuss the setting
up of a Regional Surveillance System,''
                           Sukhumbhand said. 

                           He said Myanmar would benefit from such a system as
it would allow it to monitor other
                           countries itself. 

                           Myanmar is the only country in ASEAN -- which also
comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Laos,
                           Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam -- under direct military rule. 


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