More Calls for Ban to Visit Burma

By SAW YAN NAING

Political observers and leaders of opposition and ethnic groups in Burma said they would like to see UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon return to the country to push for political reform, even as they expressed doubts about his chances of persuading the ruling junta to change its ways.

Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), said on Tuesday that Ban’s last visit to Burma in May signaled that the UN chief was not ready to tackle the country’s political problems.

“There was no discussion about politics with the Burmese government during his previous trip,” said Nyan Win. “That was not a good sign.”

Ban’s visit came several weeks after Cyclone Nargis hit the populous Irrawaddy delta on May 2-3, leaving more than 140,000 people dead or missing. During the visit, he met with junta officials, including Snr-Gen Than Shwe, in an effort to get them to allow international aid workers into the country.

Cin Sian Thang, chairman of the Zomi National Congress in Rangoon, also said that it would not be easy for Ban to achieve much if he returned to Burma.

“We hope it will be fruitful if he comes, but it all depends on what the Burmese regime does,” he said.

Speaking with The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Thakin Chan Htun, a veteran politician in Rangoon, said that it was very important for Ban to meet with Than Shwe, head of the Burmese junta.

He added, however, that the UN general-secretary probably didn’t want to return to Burma because he didn’t think he would have a chance to talk about politics with Than Shwe.

Win Min, a Burmese political analyst in exile, agreed.

“It is likely that he doesn’t want to visit Burma as there has been no political improvement until now. If his trip doesn’t have any effect, he will be criticized like [UN Special Envoy Ibrahim] Gambari,” said Win Min.

The UN general-secretary has repeatedly called for the release of political prisoners in Burma, and earlier announced that he would visit the country again in December. He later changed his mind, however, saying that didn’t think the visit would serve any purpose under the current circumstances.

“We understand that he doesn’t want to come because he hasn’t received a green light from the Burmese government, but we want him to come anyway,” said Cin Sian Thang.

Last week, more than 100 former world leaders urged Ban to visit Burma by the end of December to persuade the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners, including detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The move came after the UN secretary-general said at a press conference in October that he would visit Burma only when he sees the possibility of achieving progress toward the goals the UN has set and is certain his visit would yield tangible results.

A former Italian foreign minister, Piero Fassino, who is the European Union’s special envoy to Burma, said that a visit by the UN general-secretary to Burma would activate talks with opposition groups.

“We believe that a personal initiative by Ban Ki-moon could prove positive in establishing a serious dialogue between the military, democratic opposition and ethnic minorities, which has not yet taken place,” Fassino was quoted as saying in a report by Deutsche Press-Agentur.