Reuters-UN official to visit Myanma

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Subject: Reuters-UN official to visit Myanmar next week 

UN official to visit Myanmar next week
12:42 a.m. Oct 05, 1999 Eastern
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 5 (Reuters) - A senior U.N. official heads to Myanmar
next week in another attempt to promote a dialogue between the country's
military government and the opposition, U.N. officials said.

Alvaro de Soto, an assistant secretary-general for political affairs, who
has visited the country about five times, said on Monday he was still
working out precise dates for the trip as an emissary of Secretary-General
Kofi Annan.

The U.N. General Assembly has asked Annan to try and end the country's
isolation by persuading the government to negotiate with the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung
San Suu Kyi.

The General Assembly has condemned Myanmar, formerly Burma, for severe human
rights violations ranging from forced labour to torture of prisoners, mainly
students, professionals and academics.

The government earlier this year postponed a visit by De Soto but gave no
reasons for it. New arrangements were worked out last month when Myanmar's
foreign minister, Win Aung, attended the annual General Assembly debate,
U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

De Soto last visited Myanmar a year ago at which time he raised the
possibility of World Bank development aid if the government initiated a
dialogue with the opposition.

So far the military junta has refused to negotiate with Suu Kyi's party
unless she disbands a committee designed to represent parliament, a
challenge to its rule.

The NLD won the country's last election in 1990 but the military ignored the
results and has since tried to silence the party through arrests and
intimidation.