NEWS - Japan, Myanmar leaders to me

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Subject: NEWS - Japan, Myanmar leaders to meet during ASEAN summit

Japan, Myanmar leaders to meet during ASEAN summit

  
TOKYO, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The leaders of Japan and Myanmar will meet on
Saturday for the first time since Myanmar's military took power in 1988
by crushing a pro-democracy uprising, Japanese government officials said
on Wednesday. 

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi will meet General Than Shwe, the
head of Myanmar's ruling State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), on
the sidelines of a summit of Southeast Asian leaders and their regional
dialogue partners in Manila. 

An official in Tokyo said no agenda was set for the bilateral meeting,
but Japan is expected to put pressure on Myanmar's military government
to be more flexible in domestic politics. 

The last meeting between leaders of Japan and Myanmar took place in
1984, but Tokyo has taken a softer approach towards Myanmar than the
West, opting for engagement rather than sanctions. 

As a result, Japan appears to have gained more confidence and trust from
Myanmar's military government than from the West, political analysts
say. 

While Washington has maintained sanctions against Myanmar since May 1997
for its human rights record, Tokyo lifted a freeze on economic aid in
1995 after pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released
from house arrest. 

Japan also gave Myanmar a 2.5 billion yen ($23.9 million) loan in March
1998 for safety projects at Yangon Airport, and a 800 million yen loan
for a food production project. 

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold a leaders
summit this weekend in Manila with dialogue partners Japan, South Korea
and China. 

23:54 11-23-99