3 replies to this topic

[Garcia]

"UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari's visit to Myanmar has not made progress in talks with the military regime in that country, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday.

Bambari arrived in Yangon Saturday with Ban's instructions to seek democratic reform, engage in dialogue with detained political opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and national leader Than Shwe, and to seek the release of political prisoners and detained pro-democracy marchers.

But at UN headquarters, Ban told reporters: "I am concerned at this time about the lack of progress. He has not been able to meet with Senior General Than Shwe."

Gambari was scheduled to meet Wednesday with Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, who has been under house arrest for more than 10 years for demanding democracy."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=123343

[Kirkland]

"Rangoon - United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari was scheduled to meet yet again with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma on Thursday evening but has apparently been denied an audience with the junta's chief Senior General Than Shwe, diplomatic sources said. . .

It will be Gambari's fifth meeting with Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since May 2003. It seems unlikely that Gambari will be granted an audience with Burmese military supremo Than Shwe this trip, diplomatic sources said.

During his six-day stay in Burma, Gambari has met only two senior members of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), as the ruling junta styles itself. . .

Gambari delivered a letter from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Thein Sein to pass on to Than Shwe. The special envoy is scheduled to return to UN headquarters on Monday when he will need to provide a progress report on his Burma mission."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=123392

[Sexpat]

"Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said she was ready to talk with the military regime and urged "all relevant parties" in the troubled country to hold a constructive dialogue to resolve their differences.

In what appeared to be signs of an increased freedom to speak out after more than 10 years under house arrest by the country's military junta, Suu Kyi issued a statement that was read by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in Rangoon as he concluded his six-day visit. The statement was made public at UN headquarters in New York.

"In the interest of the nation, I stand ready to cooperate with the government in order to make this process of dialogue a success and welcome the necessary good offices of the UN to help facilitate our efforts in this regard," her statement said."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=123412

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[Hedda]

"Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said she was ready to talk with the military regime and urged "all relevant parties" in the troubled country to hold a constructive dialogue to resolve their differences.

That translates to a clear message from Aung San that the only thing preventing talks is the intransigence of the military government and its determination not to seek talks aimed at restoring democracy.

It will be interesting to see what spin the UN tries to put on the Gambari mission, which clearly seems to have been questionable. The greatest fear is that the army gang running Burma thinks all they have to do is wait for the world to forget about Burma and its tragedy. Sadly, they may be right.

The only hope is that the Chinese are privately leaning on the Burmese to loosen up, but given the rigidity of China itself toward restoring real democracy, it's hard to imagine that's what's happening - unless this general talk about a boycott of the China Olympics has hit home in Beijing. Let's hope so.



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