Gambari winds up Burma visit without meeting Aung San Suu Kyi

by Nem Davies

Sunday, 24 August 2008 00:02

UN Special Envoy to Burma Ibrahim Gambari on Saturday wind-up his visit to the country without meeting junta chief Than Shwe and detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite extending another day of his original five-day visit to Burma, Gambari failed to meet with Snr. Gen. Than Shwe and Daw Aung Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest. Gambari, who is on the sixth visit to Burma, was only allowed o meet with junior ministers of Burma's military government, while detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reportedly denied a meeting with him. "We could say he has to leave Burma without completing in mission," Nyan Win, spokesman of Aung San Suu Kyi's party – National League for Democracy - said. Reportedly, Gambari was not even invited to visit Burma's new jungle capital, Nay Pyi Taw. Gambari, however, toured some areas in Rangoon division, where Cyclone Nargis has devastated, and met government relief and rehabilitation officials. On Wednesday, rumors spread that Gambari had waited in front of the residence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in University Avenue in Bahan Township but failed to meet her as she refuse to allow him in. While the information could not be independently verified, sources said, the Nigerian diplomat on Friday tried another failed attempt to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But the Nobel Peace Laureate reportedly refused to allow him in. While it is still unclear of the reasons for Aung San Suu Kyi's refusal to meet the UN envoy, her party leaders speculated that it was a strong expression of her displeasure on the UN envoy's visit. Meanwhile, Burmese pro-democracy activists in India staged a protest in New Delhi on Saturday expressing their dissatisfaction and frustration on the UN special envoy's visit to Burma. The protesters said that the UN envoy is misled by the junta and is dancing to the tunes of the regime. "His [Gambari] visit is insignificant in all fronts. The chance of success in his is very low and uncertain," Dr. Tint Swe, Minister of Prime Minister office of Burma's exiled government, National Coalition Government of Union of Burma, said. Following Gambari's first visit after the ruling junta brutally crack down on peaceful protestors in September 2007, the regime appointed Labour Minister Aung Kyi as liaison Minister to engage with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Though Aung San Suu Kyi and Aung Kyi met for five times following the appointment the meetings have stalled since January with Aung San Suu Kyi expressing her dissatisfaction on the slow progress of the talks Opposition groups have criticized that the talks were only a show piece to the international community as the junta has no real political will to engage in dialogue with opposition. < Prev   Next >