U.N. envoy arrives in Myanmar, likely to meet with Suu Kyi

YANGON, Jan. 31 Kyodo -
U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari arrived in Myanmar for a seventh time Saturday as
part of U.N. efforts to spur democratic change, and is expected to meet with
detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to official sources.
Gambari, who is a special advisor to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon,
arrived in Yangon in the morning on a flight from Singapore and held a meeting
with Foreign Minister Nyan Win, they said.
He is also expected to meet during his four-day visit with Prime Minister Gen.
Thein Sein, senior members of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy,
representatives of several pro-junta associations, and Yangon-based diplomats,
various sources said.
A U.N. statement issued in New York ahead of Gambari's arrival here said he was
looking forward to ''meaningful discussions'' with all concerned on points
raised during his previous visit in August last year.
Gambari told senior NLD members then that he hoped to secure the release of
political prisoners including Suu Kyi, to bring about face-to-face dialogue
between her and the junta, to seek the appointment of a liaison officer between
himself and the junta, and to inform about the U.N. secretary general's
willingness to visit Myanmar.
Last month, however, Ban voiced his growing frustration that the United
Nations' longstanding efforts to promote national reconciliation and
democratization in Myanmar have yet to achieve the desired results and urged
the junta to immediately release all political prisoners and initiate ''genuine
dialogue'' with the opposition.
''My good offices should not be seen as an end in itself, or as a justification
for inaction,'' Ban said while calling for ''concrete action'' by the junta to
back up its assertion that cooperation with the United Nations is a cornerstone
of its foreign policy.
''I am ready to visit any time, whenever I can have reasonable expectations of
my visit to be productive and meaningful,'' he said.
The junta has vowed to restore democracy based on a pro-military constitution
approved by referendum last year. Multiparty general elections are set for
2010.
But the opposition forces led by Suu Kyi's NLD say the approved constitution is
unacceptable and are demanding a review.
Myanmar has been under military rule, in various forms, since 1962. The current
junta came to power after staging a coup in 1988, following a massive crackdown
on pro-democracy protesters.
Suu Kyi's NLD won the general elections in 1990 but was denied power by the
military. The 63-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been detained for more
than 13 of the past 19 years.
This is Gambari's seventh visit to Myanmar since the Nigerian scholar and
diplomat was appointed to his current post in 2006.
In his previous visit last August, he failed to meet with both Suu Kyi, who
refused to meet him, and junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
The NLD subsequently criticized his efforts, saying in a statement that ''no
positive developments regarding Mr. Gambari's missions to call for the release
of political prisoners, to start talks between the junta and democratic forces
and to promote democratic process can be seen from Mr. Gambari's visits.''
It also criticized him for offering to help the junta prepare for 2010 elections.
==Kyodo
2009-01-31 22:15:45