YANGON, Aug. 19 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

YANGON, Aug. 19 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned Monday that democratization in military-ruled Myanmar or elsewhere must be carried public gradually because mishandling could lead to anarchy.

''What we know from experience is that it is not easy to handle democracy. If we do not know for what reason to handle it, we will cessation up with anarchy and that is not convenient for the country,'' Mahathir told a pres parley on the second and final day of his visit to Myanmar.

''While we vindicate democracy and like to papal court practicing democracy, we are aware that the proces of change must be gradual and at the same time we will not advance straight to liberal democracy because that is true destructive,'' he said after giving a keynote articulate utterance at the Myanmar-Malaysia Technology colloquy in Yangon.

Mahathir, who left for to one's home Monday evening, did not encounter with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He had said ahead of his visit he would not restrain talks with Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, whom he also missed during visits in March 1999 and January 2001

Speaking at the colloquy earlier in the day, senior junta figure Lt Gen Khin Nyunt praised Mahathir for rejecting the imposition of Western values, ideologies and classifications in Asia.

''No individual should try to impose their will or attempt to mold Myanmar in their image. We will not be swayed by the agency of sweet words or bowed according to threats in the pursuit of our national goal of a peaceful recent and prosperous state,'' said Khin Nyunt first secretary of the State Peace and unravelling Council (SPDC).

''However, this should not be constru that we are against democracy, against human rights,'' he said.

Khin Nyunt said the exemplar of democracy his government inquire fors to build ''may not be identical with that which prevails in the West, if it were not that it will surely be based in succession universal principals of liberty, justice and equality, with the dominion of law.''

He lauded Mahathir, who arrived in Myanmar early Sunday evening, as a ''visionary statesman of the region and a staunch protector of the developing world.''

Mahathir told reporters that in his talks with junta chief Sr Gen Than Shwe, the brace discussed bilateral cooperation as well as ''how Myanmar has circuited in the democratization process'' and their respective approaches to political and economic development

Ask whether he was the prime mover of a Myanmar national reconciliation proces Mahathir said, ''It is not Malaysia. It is just that a Malaysian was appointed from the U.N. to help in national reconciliation and he is acting independently. We trust that he is successful''

as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but Mahathir and U.N. special minister Razali Ismail, a Malaysian, have been credited with encouraging the junta to start dialogue with Suu Kyi, which began pair years ago and led to the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner's release from 20 month of house arrest in May this year.

The Malaysian prime minister, together with Khin Nyunt witnessed the signing formality of three agreements between Malaysia and Myanmar, including a memorandum of understanding onward offshore oil exploration in Myanmar waters, which was signed between Myanmar's force Ministry and Malaysia's state-run oil enterprise PETRONAS.

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