Burmese FM blames 'opportunists'

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Burma's foreign minister Nyan Win said such political opportunists aided by some powerful countries also took advantage of protest staged by a small group of Buddhist clergy demanding apology for maltreatment of fellow monks by local authorities.

Click the picture to watch U Nyan Win deliver his speech  (Need to install Real Player first)

The junta's security forces had exercised utmost restraint and they did not intervene for nearly a month, he said. They declared curfew when the mob become unruly and provocative.

"Subsequently, when protest ignored their warning, they had to take action to restore situation. Normalcy has now return to Myanmar (Burma)," Nyan Win to the UN assembly.

The Burmese junta earlier admitted that its troops killed nine people, including a Japanese journalist, but outsiders and dissidents said the number of casualty was higher than that.

The bloodshed in Rangoon and other major cities of the military-ruled country called international outrage. The United States imposed more sanction to the leader of the junta. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) issued a strong statement demanding the junta to stop the crackdown and resume process of political reconciliation. The UN dispatched its special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to talk with all concern parties in the country to end the conflict.

Situation in Burma dominated many rounds of discussions in the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Niyta Pibulsonggram and advisor of Hillary Clinton for election campaign Richard Holbrook also talked about situation in Burma over their meeting on the sideline of UN assembly on Monday.

"The key to get the Burmese generals behave better is to put international pressure on them and that require Asean, India, China, United States and Russia," said Holbrook who is also Perseus and one of Nitya's close associates. Holbrook praised actions taken by the Asean.

Nitya would also meet US Undersecretary Nicholas Burn to discuss about Burma and Thai role in helping fix up the problems in neighboring country.

However, Nyan Win told the UN assembly that his country was under the threat of what he called "neo-colonialist" which used media campaign, sanction and even provide political influence, financial and material supports to create unrest in the country.

"The current events clearly show that such course of action can only result in conflict and untold suffering for the people of the country," he said.

The junta was fully aware of its responsibility to steer country to disciplined democracy, he said. They country has laid down the roadmap and worked continuously to achieve the goal but outside elements tried to derail the process, he said.

Supalak G Khundee

The Nation