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WASHINGTON : In its first high-level talks with Myanmar's government since last week's bloody turmoil, the United States is to press the generals to end their brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests and start a dialogue with opposition groups.
In an atypical move, the Myanmar government had invited the US envoy in Yangon for talks in their administrative capital Naypyidaw on Friday, US officials said.
"They have requested our charge de affairs to travel to the capital for a briefing with members of the government," department spokesman Sean Mccormack told reporters.
The envoy, Shari Villarosa, has not been told who she is going to meet with or the subject of the discussions, US officials said.
"I can't tell you what the topic is. I don't know what she is going to hear," McCormack said.
But he said the United States would send a "very clear message" to the military generals, that they need to start a "meaningful" dialogue with all democratic opposition groups, stop the violent crackdown on peaceful protests, encourage economic and political reforms and greater freedom and openness.
The United States downgraded its embassy in Yangon to be headed by a charge de affairs, rather than a full fledged ambassador, since the early 1990's after the current regime grabbed power in 1988.
The military generals, who suppressed a peaceful uprising that year by killing an estimated 3,000 civilians, again crushed a peaceful pro-democracy uprising led by Buddhist monks last week, with at least 13 people reported killed and more than 2,000 arrested.
News of the upcoming meeting between Villarosa and the junta came as Myanmar's state media reported Thursday that military strongman Senior General Than Shwe would be willing to meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi if she met several conditions, including ending support for sanctions on the regime.
The United States has been spearheading political, economic and diplomatic sanctions on the military regime, including a ban on investment and imports.
Than Shwe reportedly made the offer to meet with the detained Nobel Peace Prize winner during his talks Tuesday with UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who was sent by the UN Security Council following the bloody crackdown.
Gambari, who has returned to New York, is to brief his boss, UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon later Thursday and the 15-member UN Security Council Friday.
McCormack said the junta should not set conditions for any meetings with Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy party won a landslide election victory in 1990 which the military government refused to recognize.
"It should be a meaningful dialogue. We don't believe that there need to be any conditions. This is a dialogue between the government and its people. You shouldn't need to have conditions to have that kind of dialogue," he said.
US President George W. Bush has been leading Washington's campaign to put global pressure on the military rulers, saying all nations that had influence with the regime should support the aspirations of Myanmar's people and tell the junta to cease using force on people expressing a desire for change.
The US Congress has also adopted resolutions calling for the release from house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, and an immediate halt to attacks against civilians by the junta.
It also called on China to pressure Myanmar's generals and for the UN Security Council to act on the crisis.
Last week, the Bush administration slapped visa bans on more than 30 members of the junta and their families in a stepping up of sanctions, which have effectively failed to bring any reforms in Myanmar. - AFP/ch
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