Gambari said the world body awaits "concrete steps" on a wide range of political and humanitarian issues from the Burmese junta.

"We had a very good and very frank exchange with the senior general, Than Shwe, and the leadership of the country.

"I was pleased with the discussion but the outcome of the visit depends on what concrete and positive decisions are taken in a number of areas," Gambari, the UN Under-secretary for Political Affairs, told a press conference in Bangkok yesterday.

Asked about his meeting with detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, the UN envoy said she welcomed this kind of engagement and contacts between the UN and Burma.

"She believes that she and her party, the National League for Democracy, have a major contribution to make. They are supportive of any dialogue that can lead to concrete results," he said.

This was the second meeting Gambari has held with Suu Kyi - having met her last May on his first trip to Burma.

Suu Kyi has been under detention of one kind or another for most of the past 17 years - almost 4000 days in total.

Altogether, over 1,185 political prisoners, including 14 MPs are presently being de-tained.

Gambari said her release and that of other political prisoners are up to the Burmese authorities to decide.

In 2005 alone, at least 144 politicians, including six MPs-elect, were sent to jail. Many of them were given harsh prison terms.

Khun Tun Oo, a member of the parliament-elect and the chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, was sentenced to 93 years, and a Muslim member U Kyaw Min to 47 years.

Since September 2006, five student leaders including Min Ko Naing, who led the mass protests against the military in 1988 and were released last year after 16 years of solitary confinement, have been under detention without charge.

Due to harsh treatment in prisons, 131 political prisoners have died since 1988. This year alone, at least five political prisoners have died in prison while 10 died in 2005. Earlier this month, one famous student leader, Thet Win Aung, 33 years old, who was sentenced to jail for 54 years also died in prison after suffering from a chronic illness - which was not allowed to be treated.

Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Phibulsonggram, who talked with Gambari for 50 minutes, said Thailand was supportive of national reconciliation in Burma but most of the issues were the internal affair of Burma, which Thailand as an Asean member, needed to respect.

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas

The Nation