Myanmar predicts West will pull back from threat

JAKARTA (JP): Myanmarese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw predicted yesterday the West would pull back from punishing his country with economic and other sanctions after it was accorded observer status in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Addressing a press conference, Gyaw justified the military's role in politics and rejected a dialog between the government and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He also attacked the mass media for its "bias" reporting on Myanmar and vowed to ban any journalist who writes negative reports on Myanmar from entering the country.

"Why should we be bothered?" Gyaw said when asked about the threat of sanctions spearheaded by the United States and the European Union (EU).

"I mean, it is not coming. There will not be any sanctions. Even in the EU, there are differences of opinion," he continued.

Developed countries have spearheaded a campaign to isolate Yangon to compel it to observe human rights and respect the results of the 1990 national elections won by the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

European Commission Vice President Manuel Marin sparked a debate earlier this week when he warned that ASEAN's insistence on establishing links with the Myanmarese military junta could endanger EU-ASEAN relations.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas responded by saying that other countries and organizations had no right to dictate whether the association should or should not accept Myanmar into its fold.

Malaysia's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ahmad Kamil Jaafar, said that Europe was being hypocritical on issues of human rights.

The U.S. officials threatened to impose tougher sanctions on Myanmar if repression worsens there despite public opposition from Asian countries.

Secretary of State Warren Christopher said here he would raise concerns about Myanmar's crackdown on pro-democracy activists when he meets with ASEAN ministers and their dialog partners today.

"We're very concerned about the situation in Burma (Myanmar), concerned that the indication of additional strictures or repressive steps not prevent a dialog between SLORC (the State Law and Order Restoration Council) and Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.

Gyaw held meetings with Irish Foreign Minister Dick Spring and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

After the meeting Spring said that it is important to continue further consultations with Yangon. "I think they certainly understood our concerns. I think its important that we have further meetings where these concerns can be expressed," he said.

Downer also said that he had made Australia's position clear to his Myanmarese counterpart.

"We want to see a move towards democracy in Burma (Myanmar)," he said.

However when asked Downer would say whether he would raise the issue in today's ARF meeting.

"I don't want to foreshadow in the media what I'm going to say at the ARF tomorrow," he said.

Election

Gyaw noted that his government could not accept the results of the election, because the country had no constitution when the election was held in 1990.

"All of a sudden, without (considering) the constitution, a group of people claimed to win a so-called election," Gyaw said, contending that there would be problems should the NLD be allowed to proceed. For instance, "how many years they will be serving as members of parliament or representatives".

He rejected direct dialog with Suu Kyi because the government considers her as an individual. "If we have a dialog with a particular person, then there are many people in our country who would claim: `Look, I am also someone that should be engaged in the dialog.'"

"The dialog is a process where other parties will have to take part. We have already established the national convention, which is the best vehicle for the dialog. But the NLD walked out of the convention. And by doing so, they lost the chance for a dialog," he added.

He said the NLD could propose a dialog with the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the junta's official name, by returning to a national convention which is drafting the country's constitution.

Speaking on human rights, Gyaw asserted that his country respects human rights, although Myanmar has not yet endorsed the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

"Like any country in Southeast Asia and Asia in general, we have to take into account our culture, our history and our surroundings. What is good in other countries cannot be good for our country," Gyaw said.

The western countries are expected to put more pressure on the ASEAN members to take a stronger lines against Yangon at today's ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

ASEAN has maintained its constructive engagement policy toward Myanmar and welcomed it as an observer to the association, despite a warning from an EU official that this could jeopardize the strengthening of ties between the two groups.

Gyaw will represent Myanmar at the ARF, which also includes the United States, the EU and 10 Asia-Pacific countries. He said he would stand ready to listen and give explanations on the "real conditions" of his country when "internal" issues were raised at the forum. (team)