UN Secretary General refused to visit Burma without substantial progress

(UN Secretary General - Ban Ki-moon, Photo Courtesy: UN)

According to the press briefings of spokesperson of the UN Secretary General – Michele Montas released on 3^rd December 2008 at UN Headquarters in New York, the UN Secretary General has refused to visit Burma ‘without any substantive progress and meaningful outcome’ of assurance given by the Junta towards democratic reforms and freedom of Nobel peace laureate- Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Spokesperson also informed that, the UN Secretary General – Ban Ki-moon ‘reiterated his pledge to remain fully engaged, both personally and through his Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari’ for concrete reform and would like to visit Burma, if any substantive progress achieved by the government.

It is noteworthy that earlier more than one hundred Head of State urged the government in Burma to immediately release the Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi incarcerated in house arrest and the concerned letter had been also sent to the UN Secretary General. The Spokeswoman also confirmed that the Secretary-General received that letter as well as also received a phone call on 3^rd of December morning from former Prime Minister - Kjell Magne Bondevik of Norway, the coordinator of that initiative, Montas added. They discussed the letter, which asks the Secretary-General to visit Burma and to urge the release of all political prisoners by the end of this year. And, the Secretary General has consistently said that the primary responsibility lies with the Government in Burma to deliver substantive results, including freeing political prisoners and holding a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, Ms. Michele Montas added. Even when asked about Mr. Gambari’s travels, the Spokeswoman noted that, “he would not travel to Burma unless there was a real possibility of moving forward there.”

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