UN Official Meets Separately With Myanmar Leaders

UN Official Meets Separately With Myanmar Leaders, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

New York, Nov 11 2006 2:00PM

The top United Nations political official held separate meetings today in Myanmar with government leaders as well as the most prominent member of the opposition: detained Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari and his delegation traveled on Saturday to Nay Pyi Daw, the country's new administrative center, to meet with Myanmar's senior leadership.

UN officials said he had a "frank and extensive dialogue" with the SPDC Chairman, Senior General Than Shwe, and Vice Chairman, General Maung Aye, covering a range of political and humanitarian issues. Mr. Gambari was "pleased at the willingness of the leadership to continue to engage with the United Nations in this way," the officials said.

During a subsequent meeting with Ms. Suu Kyi, of the National League for Democracy (NLD), she told Mr. Gambari that she welcomes continued UN engagement in the hopes that it can be of help in addressing the many issues he has raised, the officials said. In previous meetings, the UN Under-Secretary-General has emphasized the importance of transparency and the need to open up the political process to all the country's people.

Ms. Suu Kyi, who has been under house detention for 10 of the past 16 years, also conveyed to Mr. Gambari that she is in good health but requires more regular medical visits.

Mr. Gambari held separate meetings with other NLD officials as well as members of the diplomatic corps based in Yangon. More meetings with senior officials are planned before his scheduled departure tomorrow.

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