Pubdate: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 Source: Reuters Copyright: 1999 Reuters Limited. 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck