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UN envoy arrives in Myanmar seeking democracy leaders’ release

UN envoy arrives in Myanmar seeking democracy leaders’ release

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s special envoy to Myanmar arrived in the South Asian country again today on a three-day mission in a bid to secure the release of detained democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials of her party.

Razali Ismail, on his eleventh mission, is expected meet with Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt and other Government leaders on ways to revive the process of national reconciliation, which came to a standstill after Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was detained on 30 May.

Announcing Mr. Razali’s trip last week, a UN spokesman in New York said Mr. Annan remained concerned about the well being of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders and reiterated his call that they be released without further delay.

“He expects his Special Envoy to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, find out her condition and work with Government officials towards her immediate and unconditional release,” he added.

Mr. Annan has called for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s release ever since her latest detention.

Meanwhile in a report to the UN General Assembly released this month, Mr. Annan calls on the Government to “initiate immediately substantive dialogue” with the NLD and ethnic nationality groups as the only way to “ensure that national reconciliation is durable, the transition to democracy is smooth and Myanmar’s future as a stable, prosperous and multi-ethnic nation is secure.”

Unless the parties engage in such a dialogue, the international community will have to conclude that the home-grown national reconciliation process no longer exists and the Assembly will have to provide a clearer framework for action by Member States to help promote democratization in Myanmar, the report says.