US Delegation Arrives in Naypyidaw

US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell arrived in Naypyidaw on Tuesday morning to hold a meeting with Burmese military government officials, the US embassy in Rangoon confirmed.

An official with the embassy who spoke on condition of anonymity because of protocol told The Irrawaddy that Campbell flew straight to the remote Burmese capital with three other State Department officials and that the flight arrived at 10:20 a.m. local time.

According to diplomatic sources, Campbell is accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia Scot Marciel, the US State Department’s Burma Officer Laura Scheible and another State Department officer.

The embassy official said that the US delegation is scheduled to stay in Naypyidaw all day on Tuesday to engage in direct dialogue with representatives of the Burmese regime before flying to Rangoon on Wednesday to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as other opposition leaders and ethnic representatives.

Responding to a question as to whether Campbell will meet with junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Prime Minister Thein Sein, the embassy official said that he believed the delegation will meet with Thein Sein.

“But for sure, he [Campbell] is meeting with the people he met in New York during the time of the [UN] General Assembly. He will meet the same people he met then, but also with other people,” the embassy official added.

On Sept. 29 in New York, Campbell led a US delegation in talks with Burmese government officials, including a former Burmese ambassador to Washington, Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung,

To mark the arrival of Campbell in Naypyidaw, 50 civil society groups from Burma and other Asian nations urged the US to remain firm in its efforts to support genuine democratization and national reconciliation in the country.

In an open letter, the groups called for Campbell to ensure that the regime meets key benchmarks before next year’s election, including: the release of Suu Kyi and all political prisoners; an end to attacks against ethnic groups; an inclusive dialogue; and a review of the 2008 Constitution.

Speaking at the US Congress on Oct. 21 before his trip to Burma, Campbell said the US must be prepared to sustain efforts beyond the planned 2010 election. “Some day, a new generation of leaders in Burma will come to power,” he said.

irrawaddy