Upcoming polls in Myanmar must be transparent, say Ban and Group of Friends

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefs press after meeting with Myanmar Group of Friends

25 March 2010 – National elections scheduled to be held in Myanmar later this year – the first in the country in two decades – must be “inclusive, participatory and transparent,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and a group of key nations said today.

Such polls would help to “advance the prospects of stability, democracy and development for all the people of Myanmar,” Mr. Ban told reporters following a meeting of the so-called Group of Friends, which brings together more than one dozen nations and one regional bloc in support of greater dialogue in the Asian nation.

The Government, he said, must create the conditions to allow for free participation in the elections.

“This includes the release of all political prisoners – including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi – and respect for fundamental freedoms,” he added.

Ms. Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was sentenced last August to an additional 18 months of house arrest, effectively barring her from taking part in the polls. She was reportedly convicted of violating State security laws after an uninvited United States citizen gained access to her home.

“I have expressed my concerns that the published electoral laws and the overall electoral environment so far do not fully measure up to what is needed for an inclusive political process,” the Secretary-General stressed.

Earlier this month, Myanmar’s authorities unveiled new electoral laws, which according to media reports, relate to the registration of political parties and prohibit anyone with a criminal conviction from being a member of an official party.

Mr. Ban told reporters today that it is both “frustrating” and “disappointing that we have not seen much progress.”

During his last visit to Myanmar in last July, he urged Senior General Than Shwe to take concrete actions, including the release of political prisoners, but “implementation of commitments seems to come very slowly and gradually.”

Earlier this month, an independent United Nations human rights expert who recently visited the country said that there is no indication that the Government is willing to release political prisoners ahead of the national elections.

“Without full participation, including by the some 2,100 prisoners of conscience, and an environment that allows people and parties to engage in the range of electoral activities, the elections cannot be credible,” he said.

Responding to a question on whether or not Ms. Suu Kyi’s call for her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to not take part in the polls will hurt the electoral process, the Secretary-General said today that her decision must be respected.

He has told the leaders of Myanmar, he said, that “without full participation of all the people, including political prisoners, and particularly Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, it may not be regarded as credible and inclusive.”

Mr. Ban also noted to reporters today that the Group of Friends has underscored the need to improve the living standards of Myanmar’s people.

“This reflects our view that Myanmar’s political, humanitarian and development challenges should be addressed in parallel and with equal attention,” he said.

Secretary-General briefs media on Myanmar 25 Mar. '10

Myanmar: Ban Ki-moon ‘regrets’ continued detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

27 May 2008 – The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said he ‘regretted’ the decision by Myanmar’s Government to extend the detention of pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

In a statement, Mr. Ban said, “I regret the decision of the Government of Myanmar to extend for a sixth consecutive year the detention under house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy.”

Mr. Ban has just returned to New York after a visit to Myanmar in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis. During his visit he met with Myanmar’s Senior General Than Shwe.

“The sooner restrictions on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political figures are lifted, the sooner Myanmar will be able to move towards inclusive national reconciliation, the restoration of democracy and full respect for human rights,” Mr. Ban added.

The Secretary-General said he expected his Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari to continue his efforts to foster political dialogue with both the Myanmar authorities and Nobel laureate Ms. Suu Kyi.

International community’s patience with Myanmar ‘running out’ – Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

10 December 2007 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Myanmar’s authorities to step up their efforts towards democratization and the full respect of human rights, noting that the international community’s patience with the troubled South-East Asian nation is wearing thin.

Speaking to reporters in Bangkok, Mr. Ban seized the occasion of Human Rights Day to urge Myanmar’s authorities once more to fully respect the principles of the UN Charter by engaging with the international community, democratizing and promoting human rights.

Calling the appointment of a liaison minister who is in contact with Aung San Suu Kyi “a good beginning,” he called for further efforts so that the detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate can engage in an in-depth dialogue with the country’s senior leadership.

“I know that the international community is very impatient, and our patience is running out,” he stated, stressing once again that a return to the status quo prior to the Government’s crackdown on peaceful protesters in August and September is “not acceptable and politically unsustainable.”

The people of Myanmar have suffered from isolation for a very long time, the Secretary-General stated, adding that it is high time for them to enjoy genuine democracy and freedom. “This is what the international community expects.”

Mr. Ban pledged to continue his good offices role through his Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari, who is scheduled to return to Myanmar at the end of this year or early next year. He also highlighted the special role and responsibility of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) in further promoting democracy in Myanmar.

The situation in Myanmar and the work of ASEAN were among the issues discussed by Mr. Ban and Thai Prime Minister Surayudh Chulanont earlier today in Bangkok, the first stop on the Secretary-General’s current three-nation trip, which will also take him to the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, as well as Timor-Leste. The leaders also discussed climate change, UN reform and global public health, according to a spokesperson for Mr. Ban.

The Secretary-General also addressed the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and visited, with his wife, the Royal Chitralada projects, a bio-fuel initiative which he described as one of the many examples of the King of Thailand’s commitment and dedication to human development and the environment.

The Secretary-General and Mrs. Ban also had an audience with the King and Queen of Thailand in the evening. They are scheduled to arrive in Bali tomorrow.

UN envoy advises against Myanmar’s return to pre-crisis status quo

In a meeting with Myanmar’s Prime Minister today, the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor Ibrahim Gambari urged the South-east Asian nation’s leadership to begin a dialogue with the opposition without delay, stressing that returning to the status quo before the recent crisis broke out will not be sustainable.

Mr. Gambari and the new Prime Minister General Thein Sein had “open and detailed” discussions on ways to further improve Myanmar’s cooperation with the UN to address the country’s political, human rights, humanitarian and socio-economic challenges in the wake of the recent crisis, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York.

The Special Adviser “stressed that a return to the status quo before the crisis would not be sustainable, and suggested specific steps for Myanmar to meet international expectations in this regard,” she added.

These include the need for dialogue with the opposition without delay as part of an inclusive national reconciliation process, as well as necessary confidence-building measures in the humanitarian and socio-economic areas, including the establishment of a broad-based poverty alleviation commission.

The Prime Minister reiterated his Government’s full support for Mr. Gambari’s efforts on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and invited him to return to Myanmar in continuation of the good offices process.

Mr. Gambari also briefed the diplomatic corps in Myanmar on his visit so far.

Tomorrow he is scheduled to meet with pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as with members of the Central Executive Committee of her National League for Democracy party, officials of the National Unity Party, and other relevant interlocutors. He will also hold talks with the UN Country Team in Yangon.

Mr. Gambari, who arrived in Myanmar last Saturday is scheduled to return to UN Headquarters by 12 November.

ကဲဘာေတြဆက္လုပ္ၾကမလဲ

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling junta has rejected U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari's bid for three-way talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit, official media said on Tuesday.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was concerned by the lack of progress in Gambari's latest visit to Myanmar and his inability so far to meet the junta's top general.

Information Minister Kyaw Hsan told Gambari a three-way meeting -- which Gambari hopes would include himself, Suu Kyi, and junta officials -- was premature and he warned that tougher international sanctions on the former Burma would only make matters worse.

"Myanmar will not bow to outside pressure. It will never allow any outside interference to infringe on the sovereignty of the state," state-run MRTV quoted Kyaw Hsan as saying during talks with Gambari in the new capital Naypyidaw.

The United Nations said Gambari "had very frank and extensive exchanges" with senior junta officials on the fourth day of a mission aimed at securing talks between Suu Kyi and the generals who crushed pro-democracy protests in late September.

He urged that dialogue "start without delay as an indispensable part of any process of national reconciliation, and the lifting of restrictions on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political detainees as the necessary steps to that end," the U.N. office in Yangon said in a statement.