New York - The Myanmar government has received international
proposals to move the country forward by instituting political and
democratic reforms, but has so far not responded, United Nations
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday during a meeting with the
UN Security Council.
Ban visited Myanmar July 3-4 and met with the country's leader,
Army Senior General Than Shwe. But he was not allowed to see
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on trial for allegedly harbouring
an American in her home and violating the terms of her house arrest.
'Now that I have conveyed in the clearest terms what is expected
of Myanmar's leaders, it is up to them to respond positively in their
country's own interest,' Ban said in briefing the 15-nation council
about the trip, his second since last May when Myanmar was partly
destroyed by Cyclone Nargis.
Ban asked Myanmar's military government to release all political
prisoners, including Suu Kyi, resume government-opposition dialogue
and create conditions for a free and fair general election in 2010.
Suu Kyi is head of the National League for Democracy.
The UN chief said he was 'deeply disappointed' that Than Shwe did
not allow him to meet with Suu Kyi, which amounted to a 'major lost
opportunity' for Myanmar to prove its sincerity to embrace democracy.
'The world is now watching closely whether they will choose to act
in the best interest of their country or ignore our concerns and
expectations and the needs of their people,' he said.
Ban warned that if Suu Kyi is not allowed to take part in the
election in 2010, 'that election may not be regarded as legitimate
and credible.'
Myanmar adopted a revised constitution last May, which bars Suu
Kyi from running in the election because she married a foreigner, a
Briton who has passed away.
While Ban deplored the lack of concrete results during his visit,
Myanmar's new ambassador, U Than Swe, told the council that the visit
was a success because Ban met with Than Shwe for a second time,
adding that the general rarely met with the same dignitary twice.
'With regard to the success of the visit, the Myanmar government
intends to implement all appropriate recommendations that the
secretary general had proposed,' U Than Swe said.
He said political prisoners will be granted amnesty on
humanitarian grounds so they can take part in the 2010 election, but
did not mention Suu Kyi.
U Than Swe said if his government needs technical assistance to
organize the election, it will let the UN know.
'Myanmar today is steadfastly proceeding on its chosen path to
democracy,' he said.
Council members agreed that Ban was right in visiting Myanmar and
calling for democracy, human rights and economic development. Some
deplored the continued arrest of Suu Kyi.
'The secretary general's visit was an opportunity for the
government of Burma (Myanmar) to transform its relationship with the
international community, which stands ready to respond positively to
real progress,' British Deputy Ambassador Philip Parham said.
'The regime's failure to take this opportunity has only served to
isolate it further,' he said.
'We can only hope that we may yet see progress in the coming days
- it is not too late.'
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