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Published on October 13, 2007

 It will be the first leg of an Asian tour to explore ways to bring democracy and national reconciliation to the military-ruled country where a crackdown last month killed at least 13 protesters.

Gambari is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont and Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsong-gram to exchange ideas on the situation in Burma, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said yesterday.

The envoy chose Thailand as the first leg of his tour because the government is one of the main supporters of the UN's effort to resolve the conflict in neighbouring Burma, he said.

Gambari will then travel to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan to drum up support for the effort to bring about a political solution in Burma.

The special envoy visited Burma from September 29 to October 2 to assess the situation following the military's crackdown on massive public protests in Rangoon and major cities in the country.

He met the junta's paramount leader, Than Shwe, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to explore the possibility of starting a political dialogue.

The envoy's Asian tour is an effort by the UN to bring peace to Burma following international outrage at the crackdown on September 25 and 26 in which at least 13 people were killed and more than 2,000 protesters, including Buddhist monks, were arrested.

After lengthy bargaining among its members, notably the United States and China, the UN Security Council issued a statement slamming the junta for its violent suppression of the protests and urging it to begin talks with Suu Kyi.

The Nation