Article from India Newspaper(The Hi

[aungsan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

U.N missions to Cambodia, Myanmar draw a blank

By V. Jayanth

Manila, Jan.24: Two leading emissaries of United Nations agencies were
in Southeast Asia this week, dealing with the crises in Myanmar and
Cambodia. While the new U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms.
Mary Robinson, wound up her visit to Phnom Prnh, without getting much
out of Cambodian strongman and co-premier, Mr. Hun Sen, the U.N.
secretary-general's special envoy, Mr. Alwaro de Soto held meetings in
Myanmar with both Ms. Suu Kyi and the leader of the junta, Sr. Gen. Than
Shwe.

Sources in Yangoon said the U. N. envoy spent more than  three hours at
Ms. Suu Kyi's house discussing situation in the country and exploring
ways to initiate a dialogue to end the political impasse. Mr. de Soto
who also met with all top military leaders, said he would submit a
report to the Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annnan, on his return to New
York. The sources said that the  U.N. envoy, during his three day visit,
raised the issues of political stalemate and human rights with the
junta.

All that the envoy revealed was that he was exploring ways of breaking
the deadlock and opening a dialogue between the junta and the
pro-democracy movement as part of national reconciliation. He paid
homage to the former U.N. Secretary General, U Thant. Opposition
National League for Democracy sources said their senior party leaders,
Mr. Tin Oo, presented a set of letters and papers to substantiate their
change in human rights situation. The demand of the NLD as also the
objective of the U.N. was to open a three way dialogue involving junta
and, the opposition and the national tribes or races for genuine
national reconciliation.

In Phnom Penh, Mr. Hun Sen flatly rejected the two main demands of the
U. N. high Commissioner_ cease-fire and talks with the ousted Premier,
Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and pinning responsibility for the
extra-judicial killings of about 40 soldiers and loyalists of the Prince
after the July 6 violence in the Kingdom.

 THE HINDU
 January 25, 1998.