MYANMAR PRESS ACCUSES EU OF "NEO-COLONIALISM"

YANGON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - A commentary in Myanmar's state press on Thursday
accused the European Union of behaving like neo-colonialists in opposing
Yangon's participation in a ministerial meeting scheduled for next month.

The European Union has barred senior officials from Myanmar because of the
country's human rights record, making it likely a foreign ministers' meeting
with the Association of South East Asian Nations in Berlin will have to be
postponed.

"Aren't EU members making obstructions saying they do not want to meet or
have face-to-face dialogue with this or that country in ASEAN...?" said a
commentary in the New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

"...These are the ordinary acts, features and dominations of neo-
colonialists," it said. "Is it for human rights or for the domination system
practised by the big countries?"

The article said Myanmar, as a member of ASEAN, had the right to take part
in all its activities.

ASEAN has stood by Myanmar in insisting all its members should be allowed to
attend the Berlin meeting or none at all.

A postponement would indefinitely delay disbursement to ASEAN of hundreds of
millions of dollars of much needed EU development assistance.

The commentary also hit out at the United States and European countries for
boycotting an international conference on heroin set for later this month
being organised by Interpol.

It said this was part of "a conspiracy to put pressure on and interfere in
Myanmar by (the) international imperialist bloc".

Countries that have decided not to attend the conference have said Myanmar
is an inappropriate venue given its record as one of the world's biggest
producers of heroin.