No UN visit yet to Burma

[darnott@xxxxxxxxxx]

UN OFFICIALS STILL NEGOTIATING WITH SLORC OVER VISIT
 
The UPI wire of 30 Oct that Alvaro de Soto, the 
Secretary-General's envoy to Burma, would visit the country
next week is somewhat premature. The Secretary-General's
office has been negotiating for several months over the
conditions for a visit, but so far no agreement has been
reached. 
 
Another point is that the Secretary-General's mandate is more
to explore political solutions with the Burmese military than
to carry out human rights fact-finding, which falls more
within the mandate of Mr Lallah, the Special Rapporteur on
Myanmar appointed by the Commission on Human Rights. Mr Lallah 
also has asked to visit the country; but so far without
success. 
 
David Arnott, Burma Peace Foundation
 
1/Nov/96