March 8, 2008, YANGON, Myanmar — The U.N. special envoy to promote political reconciliation in Myanmar met Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition party members Saturday, a day after being rebuffed by the country's military rulers.
Suu Kyi, who has been detained without trial for 12 of the past 18 years, was seen being driven from the residence where she is held under house arrest to the state guest house where Ibrahim Gambari was staying. Gambari, representing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was scheduled to hold talks with Suu Kyi, but details of their meeting were likely to be closely held.
The U.N. envoy earlier held talks with representatives of ethnic groups, non-governmental organizations and several political parties including executives of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.
At their one-hour morning meeting with Gambari, five NLD leaders told him of their desire for an accelerated dialogue with the junta and the release of political prisoners, according to one of the party members present.
The United Nations holds a similar position, but the junta shows no sign of implementing either action. Myanmar has been in a political deadlock since the junta, which seized power in 1998, refused to honor the results of a 1990 general election won by Suu Kyi's party.
Gambari told the NLD executives that he would try his utmost to press their case, but also suggested that they should grab any opportunities offered by the junta, said the party official, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the press.
The junta's top spokesman told Gambari at a Friday meeting that that the government had done enough to hold a dialogue with Suu Kyi, by appointing a ministerial level liaison officer for her and announcing that junta chairman Senior Gen. Than Shwe would be willing to meet her if she gave up her "confrontational attitude" and stopped calling for sanctions against the junta.
Information Minister Brig. Gen. Kyaw Hsan told Gambari that Myanmar has no political prisoners and that Suu Kyi was detained because she tried to disrupt stability of the country, state-controlled media reported.
Kyaw Hsan also expressed unhappiness with Gambari's trips to other countries in the region to seek their support for political reform in Myanmar.
Gambari arrived Thursday on his third trip to Myanmar since the junta's deadly crackdown on nonviolent pro-democracy protesters in September sparked a global outcry. The visit came amid growing concerns that the government is ignoring calls for political reform and is tightening its grip on power.
The junta said last month that it would hold a constitutional referendum in May and general elections in 2010 _ the first specific dates for steps in a previously announced "roadmap to democracy."
Dissidents, diplomats and human rights groups have dismissed the roadmap as a sham designed to allow the perpetuation of military rule.
"It is impossible to review or rewrite the constitution which was drawn with the participation of delegates from all walks of life. The draft constitution will be adopted in accordance with the decision by the people in the May constitutional referendum," Kyaw Hsan was quoted telling Gambari on Friday.
Source: Fox News
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