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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Tokyo 30 June 2009: unofficial transcript of remarks on Myanmar at a joint press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone
I am going to discuss with the Foreign Minister over dinner many other important issues concerning my visit to Myanmar and the situation in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and climate change, most importantly.
As you know by this time already, I am planning to visit Myanmar from July 3-4. I look forward to returning to Myanmar to address directly with the senior leadership of Myanmar the serious and longstanding issues of concern to the United Nations and the international community as a whole. In particular, I consider that three of the most important issues for the future of Myanmar cannot be left unaddressed at this juncture of the country’s political process: first, the release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; the resumption of dialogue between the Government and Opposition as a necessary part of any national reconciliation process; and third, the need to create conditions conducive to credible elections next year. In addition, I consider that every opportunity should be used to consolidate and build on the joint humanitarian efforts following Cyclone Nargis last year.
Question: I would like to ask about Myanmar since the Secretary General is about to visit there. Secretary-General, are you concerned that the timing of your visit could send a wrong message, since it coincides with the resumption of the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi?
Secretary-General: I have been trying to find out the most appropriate timing. I have been trying to visit Myanmar since a long time, but I realized that there are concerns about the timing of my visit at this time because a trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still pending. It may be the case that the trial may happen during my visit in Myanmar. I am very much conscious of that. At the same time, to find the most appropriate timing has been a challenge for me, too. I have been negotiating with the Myanmar authorities about my own visit. While being conscious of this concern of the international community, I will try to use this visit as an opportunity to raise in the strongest possible terms and convey the concerns of international community of the United Nations to the highest authorities of the Myanmar Government. As I said, three of most important benchmarks would be: first of all, they should release all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi; [second] they should immediately resume the dialogue between the Government and opposition leaders; and [third] they should also create an atmosphere, political as well as a legal framework conducive to the credible election which needs to be taken next year in a most objective, transparent and democratic manner. This is the commitment and concerns and aspiration of the international community. I am going to convey this strongly to Senior General Than Shwe and other leaders. I am going to also have an opportunity of having a public speech inviting all civil leaders, NGOs and political leaders, and also I may have an opportunity of meeting all the other different political leaders/representatives. This would provide with me a very good occasion to engage in, first of all, dialogue with people of the grassroots as well as the highest leaders. Thank you very much.
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The Buddha, the Bazaar and the Burmese Road to Democracy - Dr Xiaolin Guo
This report by Dr Xiaolin Guo, an anthropologist with extensive fieldwork experience in Yunnan Province in China, reflects on some current issues following her trip to Myanmar in the spring of 2009. The purpose of her visit was to see beyond the international headlines for a change. Her route through the country extended from the original landing port to inland historical sites and beyond what is historically known as Burma proper. She was interested in how ordinary people live and what their general concerns are. For the people of Myanmar, as for people elsewhere in the world, there is after all more to life than just political ideals. A general indifference toward national politics stands in contrast to a strong desire for economic development, and she was struck by the gap between what matters most to people inside the country and what many on the outside like to see. Her report thus deals with, in order of their importance, key aspects of native experience in Myanmar.
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Myanmar-North Korea: Rumour and Reality - 29 June 2009
Andrew Selth, Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Queensland, Australia, examines the recent "evidence" of military relations between Burma and North Korea, and notes that: "The main problem with all of these stories is that there is very little hard, independently verifiable information available, either about Pyongyang’s relationship with Naypyidaw or North Korea’s activities in Burma. Inevitably, perhaps, the information gap has been filled with rumours, speculation and possibly even deliberate misinformation. Once it appears in print, this material tends to assume the status of established fact, further muddying the waters." He also observes: "Indeed, it is noteworthy that no government or international organization (including the IAEA) has ever commented publicly on these claims. This includes the Bush Administration, which had no love for the Naypyidaw regime and was quick to denounce suspected nuclear programs elsewhere. The relevant agencies seem to be keeping an open mind but, speaking off the record last month, a senior US official dismissed reports of a secret Burmese nuclear weapons program as an ‘unsubstantiated rumour’."
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Thai Prime Minister Abhisit - Myanmar sanctions not helping - 26 June 2009
The "Daily Times" (Pakistan) of 27 June 2009 reports Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as saying in Beijing on Friday following meetings with Chinese leaders that sanctions against Myanmar's military junta are not helping.“China and Thailand do not believe in sanctions,” Abhisit told reporters in Beijing. “We do not believe that isolating or alienating the Myanmar government - in particular from the international community - will help Myanmar achieve what I think we want to see achieved. “The international community can only get access to Myanmar through the role of neighbours like Thailand that continue to engage with Myanmar."
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SPDC Vice-Chairman General Maung Aye meets Chinese Vice-President
The New Light of Myanmar on 21 June 2009 reported the meeting on 16 June 2009 in Beijing between the Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Vice-Senior General Maung Aye and the Vice-Chairman of the People's Republic of China Mr Xi Jinping. Mr Xi said he believes that only the people and the government of Myanmar can solve the internal affairs of Myanmar, and foreign countries should not interfere in the internal affairs of Myanmar and should not impose sanctions against Myanmar. He pledged that China will continue to support Myanmar in the international sphere, and China will stand by the interests of Myanmar. He added that he is pleased with the efforts of the Myanmar government in implementing the State’s seven-step Road Map and with the success in democratic process and national unity. He said China will maintain peace and stability of the China-Myanmar border by adopting the non-interference policy in the internal affairs of Myanmar. He added he firmly believes that the Myanmar government and the people can overcome difficulties in the political reformation and in the realization of political and economic objectives and development of the nation. In conclusion, the Chinese vice-president said that whatever it may be, China is always a good friend of Myanmar and will uphold the fair interests of Myanmar.
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Moscow opposed to pressures on Myanmar - Itar-Tass 21 June 2009
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on 21 June 2009 reasserting that Moscow “opposes attempts to internationalize the internal situation in Myanmar, because it does not endanger peace and security in the region and the world at large. In our opinion, the political and economic pressure on that country is counterproductive, as it enhances isolationist feelings of the Myanmar military and exacerbates the socioeconomic position of citizens. We see no reasons why the UN Security Council should discuss Myanmar. At the same time, we call on Myanmar for greater openness and cooperation with the international community, as well as for closer relations with the mission of Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Ibrahim Gambari. We are confident that this negotiating mechanism is useful in building up mutual understanding and confidence between Myanmar and the world." Russia hopes that the trial of “Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be unbiased, strictly comply with national laws and humanitarian standards, and take into account the international opinion."
Click here for archived reports of and comment on the Trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose resumption has reportedly been postponed until 10 July 2009 |
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