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UN push for Burmese Democracy



UN push for Burmese Democracy
BBC News: Asia-Pacific
28 October 1998

"A senior United Nations envoy is holding talks in Burma with the
government and opposition about moves to restore democracy."

A senior United Nations envoy is holding talks in Burma with the government
and opposition about moves to restore democracy. Meeting UN envoy Alvaro de
Soto started his visit with separate meetings with the Burmese military
government and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. They are the first such
talks since August when the Burmese government refuse a UN request for
high-level discussions on restoring democracy.

Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won the election in 1990
by a large majority, but the military government refuse to recognize the
result. Since Burma joined the regional grouping ASEAN more than a year
ago, the UN has been trying to play a more active role in encouraging
Burma's generals to talk to Ms Suu Kyi.

Diplomats sat the international community has been working on a road map to
democracy with a schedule of incentives that would be offered for
concession by the ruling State Peace and Development Council. Some
estimates say the carrots available by way of financial assistance for
infrastructure development and humanitarian aid could be as much as a  $ 1 bn.

BBC Burma specialist Larry Jagan says the first concession would be talks
between the military government and the NLD at the lowest level. These
would pave the way for a genuine dialogue between the generals and Ms Suu
Kyi. The problem facing the UN is how to kick-start the process. One
suggestion is for UN Sec. Gen, Kofi Annan to meet the head of military
government, Gen. Than Shwe, at the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) summit, in Hanoi in December.

The UN is hoping that Mr. de Soto's visit will secure permission from Burma
for such a meeting. No details have been released on the talks so far, but
UN sources say Mr de Soto has gone to Rangoon with concrete proposals to
discuss with both sides.

Mr de Soto's four-day visit started by a day after the RU toughened
existing sanctions against Burma in an attempt to get the generals to
improve the country's human rights record and encourage democratic change.
Sanctions adopted two years ago already include the expulsion of military
personal attached to Rangoon's diplomatic missions in the EU, an arms
embargo, a ban on entry visas for the country's leaders and the suspension
of non-humanitarian aid and of high-level government visits.

On Monday, the EU extended the visa ban to include transit visas and
widened it to cover Burmese tourism officials. 
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Burma Info
CCN