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Reuters-Myanmar hails visit of Aust



Subject: Reuters-Myanmar hails visit of Australian rights official 

Myanmar hails visit of Australian rights official
06:10 a.m. Aug 04, 1999 Eastern
YANGON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government on Wednesday hailed
a visit by Australia's human rights commissioner, saying it would bring
``better understanding and cooperation'' on rights.

Chris Sidoti earlier wound up a three-day visit to look at the feasibility
of a human rights commission for Myanmar after meeting several senior
government officials and the vice chairman of the opposition National League
for Democracy, Tin Oo.

He did not, however, meet NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who, according to
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, has expressed doubts that any
commission would be independent.

A spokesman for the generals, who took power in 1988 by bloodily crushing a
nationwide pro-democracy uprising then ignored an election result two years
later when the NLD won by a huge margin, called Sidoti's visit ``fruitful
and successful.''

``The government feels these talks are helpful and will help its citizens
enjoy their rights and also learn to accept responsibilities as well as
obligations in maintaining a stable and responsible community as the nation
makes its systemic transition to democracy.''

Australia's ambassador to Yangon, Lyndall McLean, said the visit had been a
good one but declined to say why Sidoti did not meet Suu Kyi or make any
further comment ahead of a news conference Sidoti plans in Sydney on
Thursday.

The commission envisaged would be a along the lines of those in the
seven-member Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, of
which Australia is a member.

Such a commission was set up during Indonesia's Suharto regime in the early
1990s, under mounting pressure at home and abroad.

Sidoti's mission was just the latest foreign initiative aimed at progress on
rights in Myanmar.

However, as it began on Monday, official media dampened hopes for a
softening of treatment of the pro-democracy opposition by accusing Suu Kyi
of ``brazenly spoiling peace'' and calling for legal action against her.

Military treatment of Suu Kyi's party has prompted U.S. and EU sanctions and
been an embarrassment for Yangon's fellow members of the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations.

Last month an EU mission visited Myanmar to look into the possibility of
restoring a dialogue with the government and between the generals and the
opposition, but Yangon quickly poured cold water on reconciliation hopes.