UN envoy confers with ASEAN officials on Myanmar

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari held talks today in Singapore with the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after concluding a series of meetings with senior leaders in Myanmar.

Mr. Gambari was dispatched to the region last week by Mr. Ban in response to the deteriorating situation in Myanmar which has seen a wave of peaceful protests in recent weeks and amid reports of the use of force against demonstrators.

While in Myanmar, the Special Envoy met with Senior General Than Shwe and other members of the senior leadership, as well as leading democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Today, he discussed developments in Myanmar with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister George Yeo of Singapore, both of whom expressed ASEAN’s strong support for Mr. Gambari’s mission, UN Spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters.

He is now on his way back to New York, where he will brief the Secretary-General, the Security Council and the President of the General Assembly upon his return, she added.