Direct Talks Will Test Junta’s Intentions: US

Better US-Burma relations will require real progress on democracy and human rights, or there will be no lifting of sanctions, a top US official said on Wednesday.

“Our intent is to use our dialogue with the Burmese authorities to facilitate that process (restoration of democracy and protection of human rights). Only if the government of Burma makes progress towards these goals will it be possible to improve our bilateral relationship in a step-by-step process,” Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell said in a Congressional hearing.

Campbell told the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sub Committee of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs that despite changes in US policy towards Burma, the Obama administration will continue to press for the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners, an end to conflicts with ethnic minority groups, accountability of those responsible for human rights violations, and the initiation of a genuine dialogue between the Burmese government, the democratic opposition and the ethnic minorities.

On Wednesday, Campbell led a US delegation in talks with the Burmese minister of science and technology. The meeting in New York lasted for several hours.

“The Burmese permanent representative to the United Nations also participated in the discussion, as well as a few other individuals who came in from the capital for these sessions,” he said.

“These were substantive talks over several hours that lasted into the evening. We laid out very clearly our views, and I stressed to U Thaung that this is an opportunity for Burma, if it is ready to move forward,” he said.

Characterizing this as an introductory meeting, Campbell said: “It will take more than a single conversation to resolve our differences, and we have not yet scheduled a second session and no decisions have been made about venue or level for the next set of talks.

“In parallel to the dialogue on our core democracy, human rights and nonproliferation concerns, we hope to identify some initial positive steps the Burmese could take in other areas that would help build momentum in the talks and could potentially allow the United States to respond in an appropriate manner,” he said.

“There are a number of areas in which we've had a tentative discussion. We might be able to improve cooperation to our mutual benefit, such as in the area of counternarcotics, health issues, environmental protection, the recovery of World War II missing-in-action remains and the potential provision of humanitarian assistance.”

Lifting or easing sanctions at the outset of a dialogue without meaningful progress would be a mistake and would send the wrong message, he said.

“We will maintain our existing sanctions until we see concrete progress and continue to work with the international community to ensure that those sanctions are effectively coordinated.  We believe any easing of sanctions now would send the wrong signal to those who have been striving for so many years for democracy and progress in Burma, to our partners in the region and elsewhere and to the Burmese leadership itself,” he said.

“Through our dialogue, we also will make clear to the Burmese leadership that relations with the United States can only be improved in a step-by-step process if the Burmese government takes meaningful actions that address our core concerns. Moreover, we will reserve the option of tightening sanctions on the regime and its supporters to respond to events in Burma.”

Responding to a question from Sen. Jim Webb, who chaired the hearing, Campbell said that Suu Kyi, in a recent letter, has indicated a desire to begin a dialogue on sanctions.

“We would like to see her have the opportunity to interact more freely with visitors, both outside of the country, like yourself, but also members of her own party and other groups inside Burma, and more dialogue between the government and herself,” he said.

“We think that this is an appropriate next step in terms of domestic developments inside the country. And we've communicated that very clearly to our interlocutors,” Campbell said.

Referring to the direct US-Burma talks in New York on Wednesday, he said: “I wouldn't want to characterize them; certainly no breakthroughs, but a very clear determination that dialogue was possible on the side of Burma. I think the United States, we prepared intensively. We laid out what our goals were and how we would want to go about a dialogue.”

Responding to a question on the 2010 Burmese election, Campbell said: “We think there needs to be much greater clarity on behalf of the government about what their expectations are. They've been very unclear about certain aspects and manifestations of the 2010 elections.