Myanmar prime minister to visit Vietnam
The prime minister of Myanmar's military government will pay an official visit to Vietnam this week, the Foreign Ministry said Monday. Details of the April 7-8 visit by Lt. Gen. Soe Win were still being worked out, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said.
Vietnam and Myanmar are both members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where pressure has been mounting in recent weeks on Myanmar's junta to proceed with political reforms and release Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The Foreign Ministry refused to comment on whether the two sides would discuss those pressures. Vietnam's communist government has consistently opposed moves within ASEAN to push for reforms within member nations.
Soe Win replaced Gen. Khin Nyunt as prime minister last October in a surprise Cabinet reshuffle that was seen as a victory for hard-liners in the military junta opposed to compromise with the pro-democracy movement of Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest. Several nations have expressed concerns about Myanmar's rotation into the chairmanship of ASEAN, set for late 2006, fearing damage to ASEAN's reputation if it continues to shield the widely condemned junta.
The United States and the European Union _ key ASEAN "dialogue partners" _ have suggested they may boycott meetings with the group if Myanmar gets the chair. In both Malaysia and the Philippines, legislative action is underway to press ASEAN to deny the chairmanship to Myanmar unless it releases Suu Kyi and sets a timetable for reforms. But several other ASEAN members have been reluctant to denounce rights abuses because of the group's tradition of noninterference in each other's domestic affairs.
The Associated Press - April 4, 2005
Senior Lieutenant-General Phung Quang Thanh and party of Vietnam arrive to pay goodwill visit
YANGON - At the invitation of Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, Chief of General Staff Senior Lieutenant-General Phung Quang Thanh and party of the Vietnamese People’s Army of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam arrived here by air at 5.45 pm today to pay a goodwill visit to Myanmar. They were welcomed at the airport by Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Maung Aye.
Also present on the occasion were Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Thein Sein, members of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Ye Myint and Lt-Gen Aung Htwe of the Ministry of Defence, Chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Myint Swe, senior military officers of the Ministry of Defence, Charge d’Affaires ai of the Vietnamese Embassy Mr Pham Van Cu, Vietnamese Military Attaché Sr Col Nguyen Van Thanh and officials.
Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and Senior Lt-Gen Phung Quang Thanh took the salute of the Guard of Honour and inspected it. Next, the Vietnamese guests left for No 1 Tatmadaw Guest House. Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and party waved to the guests.
The new light of Myanmar - April 3, 2005
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