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UNITED NATIONS : Warning that "the world is watching," UN chief Ban Ki-moon pressed Myanmar's military rulers Monday to deliver on their pledge to ensure "inclusive, free and fair" elections next year.
"The (Myanmar) government needs to deliver on the promise to make the 2010 elections inclusive, free and fair and to take the necessary steps on my specific proposals in the very near future," he said as he briefed the UN Security Council on his visit to Myanmar early this month.
"The choice for Myanmar's leaders in the coming days and weeks will be between meeting that responsibility in the interest of all concerned, or failing their own people and each one of you," the UN secretary general said.
"The world is now watching closely whether they will choose to act in the best interest of their country or ignore our concerns and expectations and the needs of their people," he added.
In a conciliatory rejoinder, Myanmar's UN envoy said his government "intends to implement all appropriate recommendations that the secretary general had proposed."
Ambassador U Than Swe specifically said the military regime was preparing an amnesty for political prisoners on humanitarian grounds so they can contest next year's general elections.
"At the request of the (UN) Secretary General (Ban Ki-moon), the Myanmar government is processing to grant amnesty to prisoners on humanitarian grounds and with a view to enabling them to participate in the 2010 general elections," he told the Council.
"The challenges faced by Myanmar are complex and multifaceted," the ambassador however noted. "Undue pressure from the outside without fully comprehending the challenges faced by Myanmar will not be conducive to the country's home-grown political process."
And in an apparent bid to blunt any push by Western nations for UN sanctions against his regime, he noted: "Myanmar is not a threat to international peace and security, so no Security Council is warranted."
In his address, Ban also described as "not only a deep disappointment but also a major lost opportunity for Myanmar" the refusal by military head Senior General Myanmar Than Shwe to allow him to see jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces an internationally condemned trial for violating the terms of her house arrest, has been either jailed or under house arrest for 13 of the last 19 years since the military refused to recognize her National League for Democracy (NLD)'S victory in Myanmar's last elections, in 1990.
She faces up to five years in jail if convicted of violating her house arrest rules, after an American man swam uninvited to her lakeside home in May.
During his visit, Ban pressed Than Shwe to free political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and called for elections scheduled for 2010 to be free and fair.
Britain's deputy UN ambassador Philip Parham slammed the Myanmar regime for its stance.
"The Secretary-General’s visit was an opportunity for the Government of Burma to transform its relationship with the international community, which stands ready to respond positively to real progress," he said. "The regime’s failure to take this opportunity has only served to isolate it further."
"We can only hope that we may yet see progress in the coming days; It is not too late. But if it does not come, and if we see an unjust outcome in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’ trial, the international community will need to follow the Secretary General’s lead and respond robustly," Parham warned. "The onus is on the Government to act. As the Secretary General has just said, the world is watching."
Meanwhile in an open letter to Ban, three Myanmar opposition groups said the UN boss should "stop expecting" the ruling generals to respond positively to his calls.
The Thailand-based All Burma Monks' Alliance, jointly with the All Burma Federation of Student Unions and the 88 Generation Students, said Ban's mandate was "not strong enough" to make the military to agree to his requests.
"We urge you to recognise the ineffectiveness of the current diplomatic approach without the strong backing from the UN Security Council with a binding resolution to deal with Burma’s military regime," they said.
- AFP /ls
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