Than Shwe Again Shuns Meeting with Gambari

By THE IRRAWADDY

The UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari leaves Rangoon on Tuesday at the end of a three-day visit during which he had one meeting with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi but failed to meet junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe.

Gambari, on his seventh visit to Burma in a long-running UN mission to try and achieve political reconciliation there, met government officials and pro-junta politicians before leaving Rangoon.

The UN envoy met Suu Kyi on Monday, and she reportedly aired her frustration at the UN’s failure to achieve political change in Burma and charged that the country lacked rule of law.

Nyan Win, spokesman of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), said Suu Kyi drew Gambari’s attention to the lengthy prison sentences given recently to political prisoners and the arrest of defense lawyers.

Gambari was reportedly surprised to learn that Suu Kyi was well-informed about the country’s prevailing political situation.

“She is very much aware of the situation,” said a Western diplomat in Rangoon, adding that the Nobel Peace Laureate is healthy and regularly listens to news broadcasts from foreign radio stations.

The regime recently handed down heavy prison sentences to political activists and some local humanitarian workers who had worked in the cyclone-devastated Irrawaddy delta region.

Human rights groups report that more than 2,100 political prisoners are held in prisons throughout the country.

The regime barred activists from having defense lawyers, who were harassed, arrested and also given harsh prison sentences.

Monday’s meeting with Gambari was also attended by several NLD members, including party Chairman Aung Shwe and senior members Nyunt Wai, Than Htun, Hla Pe and Soe Myint.

A UN statement said: “Since his arrival, Mr Gambari has met extensively with government counterparts, members of the opposition and other political parties, as well as other interlocutors.”

Aside from Suu Kyi and government officials, the UN envoy also met with representatives of the Shan National League for Democracy.

No reason was given for Gambari’s failure to meet Than Shwe, who has also avoided the envoy on several previous visits. The two last met in October 2007.