Members of the central executive committee of Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), have traveled to the country’s remote new capital of Naypyidaw to meet visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, according to the party.
Win Tin, a member of the NLD central executive committee, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the Burmese military authorities took four members of his party to Naypyidaw by car yesterday. The four—Hla Pe, Soe Myint, Nyunt Wai and Than Tun—will meet Ban during a two-day visit to the country that started today.
The NLD’s central executive committee discussed Ban’s upcoming visit on Wednesday. The party decided to meet with the UN chief to speak with him about the release of political prisoners, calls for dialogue and a review of the current constitution, according to Win Tin.
Ban is expected to meet the junta leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, at Naypyidaw today. It is still not clear, however, whether he will be permitted to meet detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to Win Tin, the regime’s decision to take senior members of the NLD to Naypyidaw was probably an indication that they did not intend to allow Ban to meet Suu Kyi.
“I don’t think Ban Ki-moon will meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. But I want him to meet her. If he meets Than Shwe, he should meet her as well,” he said.
“He should not just listen to what the military government tells him, like [UN special envoy to Burma Ibrahim] Gambari. He should act like the secretary-general of the UN and meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” said Win Tin.
The NLD’s leaders said that they did not expect Ban’s visit to Burma to have any great impact. However, the party said it welcomed his trip and his desire to help solve Burma’s political problems.
Prior to his visit, Ban told reporters in Japan that he would try to use his trip “to raise in the strongest possible terms” the concerns of the international community.
He said he would call on the junta to “release all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” and urge the resumption of a political dialogue with the opposition as a necessary part of the national reconciliation process. He also said he would tell the regime that it needs to create conditions conducive to credible elections in 2010.
Ahead of Ban’s trip to Burma, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said the UN chief should press the junta to release all political prisoners and engage in a dialogue with the opposition. Ban should not give legitimacy to the 2010 elections, the group said.
“There is a real danger that Burma’s generals will try to use Ban’s visit to legitimize the 2010 elections,” said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch.
Meanwhile, Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Nyan Win, said that her trial has been adjourned until July 10. Suu Kyi is facing up to 5 years in prison for allegedly allowing an intruder to stay overnight in her home in early May.
irrawaddy
No comments:
Post a Comment