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AFP-Myanmar expresses solidarity wi



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: AFP-Myanmar expresses solidarity with Indonesian "brothers"

Myanmar expresses solidarity with Indonesian "brothers"

YANGON, Sept 13 (AFP) - Myanmar expressed sympathy with its Indonesian
"brothers" on Monday and hinted at uneasiness that some ASEAN members were
keen to join a peacekeeping force in East Timor.
"We have followed closely the developments in East Timor and greatly regret
the loss of lives and destruction of property," said a government spokesman
in a statement to AFP.

"We fully sympathise with our Indonesian brothers. Myanmar and Indonesia
have always enjoyed a special relationship dating back to the days of the
struggle for independence."

The statement also distanced Myanmar from the involvement of some
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members in a proposed
peacekeeping force for East Timor.

"The decision of some ASEAN countries to be involved in peacekeeping
operations in East Timor is not a coordinated ASEAN position and accordingly
we would not like to comment on it."

Some analysts say that the unprecedented scenario of ASEAN nations deploying
troops on the soil of a fellow member could weaken the grouping's cardinal
principle of non-interference in one another's internal affairs.

That could expose Myanmar, which is accused by Western nations of gross
human rights abuses, to more intense scrutiny on its own human rights
performance.

Myanmar is accused by many foreign governments of gross human rights abuses
and of suppressing the opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

"It is our consistent policy that the deployment of an international
peacekeeping force in a territory should be implemented only with the
concurrence and agreement of the government concerned," said the statement.

Thailand, as the current chair of ASEAN's policy-making body, has been at
the forefront of Asian efforts to put together a Timor peacekeeping force.

ASEAN members Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand
have offered troops for a UN force. The other states in the group are
Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Indonesia, under former president Suharto was one of the few states to have
even irregular contact with isolationist Myanmar under reclusive dictator
General Ne Win who ruled from 1958-88.

Both countries were dominated by the military and have been close on the
conservative wing of ASEAN since Myanmar joined the organisation two years
ago.

Should Indonesia make a full transistion to democracy, Myanmar could lose a
close ally in the organisation, diplomats in Yangon say.

"To try to draw too much comparison between the situations in two countries
lacks relevancy," the spokesman said however.