U.S. in talks on Myanmar aid

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar says he is talking to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on aid to the military-ruled country, currently under U.S. sanctions.

"Of course, the United States is engaging in a dialogue with Aung Sang Suu Kyi and the NLD (National League for Democracy) about U.S. assistance programs in Burma (now known as Myanmar)," Larry Dinger, the U.S. chargé d'affaires, told the BBC.

Suu Kyi, recently released after years of intermittent house arrests, is the leader of the NLD. The party boycotted elections last November, widely criticized at home and abroad as a sham designed to keep the junta in power.

Under the sanctions directed at the military rulers, the United States offers no direct aid to Myanmar except in emergencies or on humanitarian grounds.

The NLD earlier this month called for discussion with Western countries on any changes to the sanctions. At the time, Suu Kyi said any discussions with the United States and other countries should deal with when, how and under what circumstances the sanctions might be modified "in the interests of democracy, human rights and a healthy economic environment."

Her party, referring to recent calls for lifting the sanctions by some organizations and nations, said available evidence showed "economic conditions in the country have not been affected by the sanctions to any notable degree.

"We hope that it will be a continuing conversation," Dinger told the BBC, adding there have also been such talks with Myanmar authorities, which he hoped would help in formulating "U.S. policies toward Burma."

The military has ruled the country since 1962. The NLD won the 1990 elections but was never allowed to form government.