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UNITED NATIONS : UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar's ruling junta and opposition to redouble their efforts to achieve national reconciliation and full respect for human rights, his press office said Monday.
Ban again described a return to the status quo that existed prior to the current crisis as "not sustainable," a UN statement said.
He pressed the "government and all relevant parties to redouble their efforts towards achieving national reconciliation, democracy and full respect for human rights."
Ban, currently on a South American tour, was to be briefed Monday by phone by his special envoy Ibrahim Gambari on his recent six-day visit to the restive southeast Asian country, it added.
The UN chief "looks forward to (Gambari's) early return to Myanmar as part of an open and regular process of mutual engagement," the statement said.
Last week, Myanmar's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi voiced optimism after meeting with a junta official and said she believed it was time for the "healing process" to start.
The pro-democracy icon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate also huddled with members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) for the first time in more than three years amid hopes of a thaw in relations with the generals who crushed street protests against their rule in September.
The meetings followed Gambari's six-day mission to Myanmar, which he said had led to progress towards establishing a dialogue between the junta and the country's pro-democracy movement.
Ban meanwhile said that the process launched as the result of Gambari's mediation "will hopefully lead to a meaningful and substantive dialogue with concrete outcomes within an agreed timeframe."
In a separate statement, a spokesperson for the president of the UN General Assembly said it was important for fruitful dialogue to begin.
"The president welcomes the inauguration of a process that may lead to substantive and unconditional dialogue among the main parties," it said.
"He stressed the importance that this process must achieve concrete results and a clear commitment on the part of the government of Myanmar is required to work constructively with the special advisor (Gambari)."
Gambari ended his latest visit without meeting with junta leader Senior General Than Shwe, although he saw several officials and NLD members.
The Nigerian diplomat, who is back at UN headquarters, was to brief the UN Security Council on his latest mission in the coming days.
Pro-democracy protests in Myanmar began in mid-August after a massive hike in the price of everyday fuel, but escalated into the biggest threat to the ruling generals in nearly 20 years when Buddhist monks emerged to lead the movement. - AFP/ch
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