Mizzima News

Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations Special Advisor to Burma, concluded the first day of his current visit to the country with far less attention from Burmese activists and organizations than accompanied his previous visits.

According to the United Nations, Gambari, on Monday, met with Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win, the International Committee of the Red Cross and members of the tripartite group – which includes UN, Burmese government and ASEAN officials.

However, when pressed as to whether or not the Special Advisor planned to raise the issue of the much maligned constitutional referendum of this past May, United Nations Secretary General Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq said there was no information on the matter.

Haq proceeded to tell reporters yesterday in New York that Gambari would seek a continuation of his mandate, hoping to meet with all the same parties that he has been able to sit down with on previous visits.

Inside Burma, the state run press, New Light of Myanmar, attached no visible importance to the proceedings of the Special Advisor. Coverage of his first day in the country was relegated to a listing of Monday's itinerary; there was no substantive information offered as to why he is there or what the government hopes will transpire from his latest visit.

Gambari's foray comes on the heels of a visit by the United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur for Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana. Quintana, who has yet to brief the international community on the results of his trip, had previously commented that facilitating the release of political prisoners would be a top priority.

Connecting with the emphasis of the Rapporteur, Burma Campaign UK released a statement on Monday calling for Gambari to follow suit and also prioritize the release of political detainees.

"The release of political prisoners will be the benchmark by which Gambari and Ban Ki-moon will be judged," according to Wai Hnin, Political Prisoners Campaigner at Burma Campaign UK. "We have had 20 years of envoys going back and forth with nothing to show for it. It is time they delivered concrete results."

The focus on the release of political prisoners comes as the portion of Gambari's mandate dealing with fomenting a meaningful political dialogue between the primary protagonists to Burma's political imbroglio has met with increasing government intransigence.

Successful in meeting with junta leader Senior General Than Shwe following last year's military crackdown on protestors, Gambari was denied a personal sitting on his ensuing attempt and publicly lambasted by junta officials during his most recent visit for failing in his mission as an impartial mediator.

This increasingly dim prognosis of Gambari's mission had led Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign in Britain, to comment following the Special Advisor's last sojourn: "It is time the U.N. tried a new approach."

Gambari is expected to remain in Burma for five days.