Singapore urges Myanmar to reconcile with rivals

Singapore urges Myanmar to reconcile with rivals
By ALEX KENNEDY,Associated Press Writer
AP - Wednesday, March 18

SINGAPORE - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged his Myanmar counterpart Tuesday to reconcile with opponents, just hours after the ruling military junta cracked down on several pro-democracy activists.

"We hope Myanmar will seize this moment to take bolder steps towards national reconciliation and in engaging the international community," Loong said in a speech at a dinner with Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein, according to the Information Ministry.

Myanmar authorities Tuesday arrested five members of the National League for Democracy, the party of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Loong also called for stronger trade ties and less red tape between the two Association of Southeast Asian Nations members.

"We should provide a stable environment for businessmen to operate in and take concrete steps to remove barriers and bureaucratic hassles," Loong said. "In this way, we can enhance investor confidence and encourage the private sector to discover and develop new business opportunities."

The Myanmar leader met earlier Tuesday with former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, exchanging "views on perceptions within ASEAN and the rest of the international community on Myanmar," a Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said.

Thein Sein met Monday with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who urged the Myanmar to find a regional solution for thousands of Muslim boat people fleeing the country to its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Last year, Loong criticized Myanmar's government for initially refusing to allow international aid workers to help victims of Cyclone Nargis, which left more than 134,000 people dead or missing.

Loong said Singapore would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to cyclone survivors, the foreign ministry said.

Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. The current group of ruling generals came to power in 1988.