Myanmar to allow U.S. search for MIAs

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

The South Asian nation of Myanmar, once known as Burma, will allow the U.S. Army's Central Identification Laboratory, Hawai'i to conduct searches next year for the remains of U.S. airmen who died in World War II while fighting the Japanese.

Jerry Jennings, deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW/missing personnel affairs, met with senior Myanmar officials in the capital of Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, last week to discuss recovery operations at four sites.

Jennings also invited Myanmar officials to visit the central identification lab at Hickam Air Force Base next month to meet with lab personnel and familiarize themselves with recovery procedures.

"There are very few areas of U.S.-Burmese cooperation," said Charles Morrison, president of the East-West Center, who sees the agreement as an ice-breaker.

The decision by Myanmar represents the first time the country has agreed to searches within its boundaries. Ruled by a military regime since 1962 when former dictator Ne Win took power in a coup, the country has been criticized by the United States on its anti-drug efforts and failure to reconcile with democracy advocates.

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was released in May after 18 months of house arrest.

Following the meetings in Yangon, the government of Myanmar pledged full support for the recovery missions, the Defense Department said.

"Very often, when there have been no relations — and with Burma we've had very limited relations — the way the relationship starts to develop is through cooperation in a fairly technical area — and this is a very technical area," Morrison said.

The central identification lab has identified four crash sites where C-47 cargo aircraft went down in 1944 and 1945 in northern Myanmar, the Defense Department said. "Technical talks" are to be held in Myanmar in November to arrange details for the excavation of the four sites in early 2003.

During the talks, the U.S. team will seek to visit each site and conduct surveys for the future excavation.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.

Advertiser news services contributed to this report.