UN spells out wider policy to engage Burma

Burmese nationals and activists hold posters of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi during a commemoration yesterday of the 19th anniversary of the 1988 People’s Uprising in Burma in front of the country’s embassy in Bangkok.

Ibrahim Gambari, the UN's special adviser on Burma to the secretary-general, was in Bangkok yesterday to discuss the country with Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram.

Gambari's visit to the region also took him to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta for consultations on how the international community can take a unified approach to Burma's problems.

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has broadened Gambari's mandate to engage with Burma beyond the political sphere.

"On top of the agenda are political issues, human rights, democracy and an inclusive national reconciliation process. And at the same time, we want to engage the government of Burma in a very comprehensive way to address many issues," Gambari told reporters after a meeting with Nitya.

The issues of humanitarian access, drugs, armed conflict, forced labour, development goals, education and the so-called three diseases fund for HIV, TB and malaria were also discussed, he said.

With such an approach to engage Burma, Gambari said he believed the junta would listen to the international community's concerns and be willing to cooperate.

The UN also hoped the so-called road map to democracy and national reconciliation would lead to more progress on political development including the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under house arrest.

Nitya praised the new approach, saying it was accepted by all concerned parties including Asean and Burma. Thailand would work with and support the UN in its effort to engage the Burmese junta.

"Gambari has access to all important figures in Burma. As far as I know, he is the only one who has that kind of access. So I think we want to support him," the minister said.

Gambari said his next visit to Burma would be fixed only when he had finished consulting with all concerned parties including China and Russia. 

[Listen to his vioce at : http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/supalak]

Supalak G Khundee

The Nation