Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) - In a significant development, which came as a surprise, US Senator Jim Webb, visiting Burma as part of a whistle stop tour of five Asian countries, on Saturday met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was given an 18-month suspended sentence last week, her party spokesperson said.

Nyan Win, spokesperson of the National League for Democracy, said “Jim Webb met Aung San Suu Kyi this afternoon after coming back from Naypyitaw.”

The Virginian Senator, earlier on Saturday met representatives of 10 political parties including three leaders of the NLD, who were summoned for a meeting to Naypyitaw. The Senator also met the Burmese junta supremo Snr Gen Than Shwe before flying to the former capital Rangoon.

Eyewitnesses said, Aung San Suu Kyi was seen escorted from her house on Saturday afternoon and taken to the government guest house, where she met the visiting US Senator.

In Naypyitaw, Nyan Win said, leaders of his party met Webb but declined to give details of their discussions.

Webb is the senior most US official to meet Burma’s head of the junta Snr General Than Shwe in more than a decade. With the US reviewing its Burma policy, analysts believe that Webb’s visit could be useful for the Obama administration to get a clearer picture of the situation in the reclusive Southeast Asian nation.

But Nyan Win said,  “We don’t have any official stand on Webb’s visit as of now. And we understand that he is not representing the United States."