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US diplomat discusses about Burma

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 16/10/2007

Reporter: Tony Jones

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill discusses the United States's relationship with North Korea.

Transcript

TONY JONES: All right. On Burma, is the West really powerless to do anything again other than stand by and watch while a popular uprising for democracy is quite savagely suppressed?

CHRISTOPHER HILL: You know, I think to say we're powerless is to understate our position. At the same time it's not easy to deal with Burma. This is a problem that didn't just happen yesterday. This is a junta that's been in power for a long time and a junta that has really failed to understand what they need to do to reach out to their people. I mean to keep Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in prison, in house arrest for so long, it's really an indication of the stubbornness that one encounters there. And really the fact of their - of being so out of touch.

So, what we have to do diplomatically, I think, is not only make statements as we all have, but also actually work together and figure out what we can do, especially with the UN with the Secretary-General through his person, Mr Gambari. I think we're doing that. I think there's a very strong statement out of the Security Council last week. I think that was a positive sign, and ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) is really stepping up. You know, a lot of people who had doubts about ASEAN had to be impressed by statements that have emanated from ASEAN in the last few week. So, I think we've got a good overall approach. We've need to get China very much in the game. You know, the Burmese often try to hide behind China with a perception that somehow China doesn't care about these issues. So, I think we need to work with China. We're doing that. So, let's see how we can come out of this, but it is a very tough issue.

TONY JONES: Is there any sign of all of a reformist faction or anything like it emerging within the military junta?

CHRISTOPHER HILL: Haven't seen that, we haven't seen that. You know, the United States has been prepared to have a dialogue. In fact, several months ago we had some talks with the Burmese through Beijing. But we have not seen a willingness on the part of the junta to reach out and to begin to do the things that have to do. You know, they have been engaged in a sort of - in an overall Congress to revise the constitution. It's not working and clearly they've got to look in another direction.

TONY JONES: Christopher Hill, looking in another direction, the country, as you've mentioned with the most influence over both Burma and North Korea is China. But can we really trust a regime which engineers political change behind closed doors in a one-party state, as is going on now in Beijing?

CHRISTOPHER HILL: We have to be engaged with the Chinese. We have to get the Chinese to understand they have a stake in this international system, they have a stake in addressing problems such as Burma. I mean, it is very interesting to hear the Chinese talk about Burma, and the concerns they have with some of the drug trade coming into China, the concerns they've had with some of the addiction rates in neighbouring provinces in China. They are not unaware of some of the dysfunctionalism coming out of Burma.

The problem is the Chinese have traditionally taken a very - a view that they don't really want to put pressure on a neighbouring government. Now, you know, mind you we have to be careful in the long run. Do we want China to put pressure on neighbouring governments, only in some cases not in others? So, we have to be mindful of, you know, be careful what we wish for with the Chinese.

TONY JONES: One of the thing we might wish for is to understand better what's actually happening as they engineer political change, as I said, behind closed doors. A strong belief among China watchers is Mr Hu will end up in an even stronger position than he currently is, will somehow consolidate that position. But if I can put it this way, who is Hu?

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2061425.htm