UN envoy should head straight to Myanmar: White House

October 12, 2007
AFP
Original Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hUbL2bfI80si4IxUOUMJiP9_R7dg

MIAMI (AFP) — The White House called Friday for UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to head directly to Myanmar for new talks instead of first visiting other Southeast Asian nations as planned.

Given the continuing abuses of the junta on Burma, we urge UN Special Advisor Gambari to return to Burma as soon as possible, said White House spokesman Tony Fratto, using Myanmar's former name.

We would like to see advisor Gambari visit Burma before he visits other regional capitals.

Gambari met junta leaders and detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a first mission to Myanmar at the beginning of the month after the junta brutally cracked down on days of mass rallies, leaving 13 dead.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon is sending Gambari back to the region this weekend to prepare the ground for a return visit to Yangon amid international concern over the situation in the isolated Southeast Asian nation.

Gambari, a seasoned UN troubleshooter, is first to go to Thailand and then head to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan, before hoping to return to Myanmar.

The UN Security Council on Thursday slammed the ruling junta for the crackdown, in its first formal action over the crisis, and urged it to open talks with Aung San Suu Kyi.

It deplored the repression and called for the release of political prisoners, amid mounting concerns for nearly 1,000 demonstrators still being held.

The White House said on this trip Gambari should meet with government officials, as well as Aung San Suu Kyi, so that Burma can move toward a peaceful transition to democracy.

On October 2, Gambari met Myanmar's leader General Than Shwe in the nation's remote capital Tuesday after waiting for days to see the reclusive general.

On his return, he warned that the turmoil in Myanmar could have serious repercussions for the regime as he briefed the UN Security Council on his talks.

He also said that the protests were an expression of a deep-seated discontent across the Southeast Asian country.

The protests started with a trickle in mid-August after a massive overnight hike in fuel prices meant many people in the already impoverished nation were suddenly unable even to afford the bus fare to work.

But the movement took off nationwide when Buddhist monks joined in, drawing up to 100,000 onto the streets of Yangon in successive days before the regime cracked down.