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Published on October 16, 2007

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday suggested his own version of the six-party talks with Burma in response to the Untied Nation's plea for Asean nations to make more of an effort to change the behaviour of the Burmese military junta.

A core working group should be set up to deal with Burma, he said, consisting of all the Asean members, plus China and India.

Surayud discussed the idea yesterday with visiting UN special envoy on Burma Ibrahim Gambari, who said he would discuss the initiative with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The prime minister was referring to the efforts made by China, the United States and South Korean to engage North Korea in talks.

"We think that's a good model we will be able to use to solve the problems in Myanmar [Burma]," Surayud said after meeting Gambari.

Asked if Asean would activate the "Asean Troika" to solve the Burma problem like it did with the 1997 coup in Cambodia, the premier said the Asean leaders might discuss the idea during the summit in Singapore next month.

Gambari is visiting Thailand on the first leg of an Asian tour to raise concerns about the junta's alleged human rights violations in the wake of recent demonstrations.

"The purpose of the UN secretary general's 'good office' role is to change the behaviour of the regime and we believe that all those with influence in the process ought to engage," Gambari said.

"Not just Thailand but all the countries that I am visiting, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the UN, we could do more."

"We will not rest until the goals that we all share, which is peace, prosperity, democratisation and full respect of human rights are attained in Myanmar [Burma]," Gambari said after a meeting with Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram.

The envoy said he brought a special message from UN chief Ban Ki-moon to Surayud to urge Thailand to help facilitate his long stay in Burma by engaging all concerned parties to get his mission done.

Surayud responded by saying he would write another letter to Burma's leaders urging them to extend Gambari's stay in Burma to facilitate a deal for political dialogue between the junta and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Just open a dialogue, start the dialogue. There should not be any precondition or any conditions before that. Just try to start the dialogue," Surayud said.

The letter would be sent to Nay Pyi Taw by this week, he added. Gambari was scheduled to visit Burma by the middle of November.

Meanwhile, a group of human rights activists led by the Campaign for Human Right Committee submitted an open letter to Surayud and Gambari urging Thailand to stop investing in the military-ruled country and seek ways to stop the violence.

For his part, Gambari urged the Burmese junta to stop arrests, interrogation, and acts of intimidation that are "extremely disturbing" and against the spirit of mutual engagement between the UN and Burma.

"These actions must stop at once. Let me reiterate here, the UN calls on the Burmese government to release all political detainees including those arrested during the demonstrations and to allow access by the [International Committee of the Red Cross] to those in detention," he said

Supalak G Khundee,

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation