UN official visits Burma’s Suu Kyi

BANGKOK – A UN official who held a rare meeting with Myanmar’s detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday she seemed “reasonably well” and alert but that she needs more regular medical attention.

Ibrahim Gambari, the UN’s undersecretary-general for political affairs, met Suu Kyi for an hour on Saturday before wrapping up a four-day mission to press the leaders of Myanmar’s military junta to end repressive policies and adopt human rights and political reforms. Gambari’s visit came two months after the UN Security Council took the historic step of putting the country on its agenda in September, meaning that Myanmar’s ruling junta is subject to greater UN scrutiny.The United States has said it plans to introduce a resolution on Myanmar to the Security Council this year.John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, said Washington would wait until after Gambari’s visit before deciding on the contents of the resolution.Gambari said his talks with junta leaders were “frank, constructive” and “laid out the concern of the international community and the UN” The visit was Gambari’s second since May, when he also met Suu Kyi, becoming at the time the first foreigner to see her in two years.”She is reasonably well, considering that she has been in detention for 10 of the last 17 years, or so,” Gambari told reporters in Bangkok after arriving from Yangon.”Of course, she needs to be allowed to see her doctors much more regularly.”Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the last 17 years in detention, mostly under house arrest.Gambari’s comment followed up on a statement issued by the United Nations on Saturday, which said Suu Kyi had conveyed to Gambari that she is in “good health but requires more regular medical visits.”Neither the statement nor Gambari elaborated on her health condition.”She is very alert,” he told reporters.”She has concern not only about her own welfare but the welfare of the people of Myanmar, all of them.”Myanmar’s junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Suu Kyi and in 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi’s party won.She is generally not allowed telephone contact or outside visitors.Nampa-APGambari’s visit came two months after the UN Security Council took the historic step of putting the country on its agenda in September, meaning that Myanmar’s ruling junta is subject to greater UN scrutiny.The United States has said it plans to introduce a resolution on Myanmar to the Security Council this year.John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, said Washington would wait until after Gambari’s visit before deciding on the contents of the resolution.Gambari said his talks with junta leaders were “frank, constructive” and “laid out the concern of the international community and the UN” The visit was Gambari’s second since May, when he also met Suu Kyi, becoming at the time the first foreigner to see her in two years.”She is reasonably well, considering that she has been in detention for 10 of the last 17 years, or so,” Gambari told reporters in Bangkok after arriving from Yangon.”Of course, she needs to be allowed to see her doctors much more regularly.”Suu Kyi has spent 11 of the last 17 years in detention, mostly under house arrest.Gambari’s comment followed up on a statement issued by the United Nations on Saturday, which said Suu Kyi had conveyed to Gambari that she is in “good health but requires more regular medical visits.”Neither the statement nor Gambari elaborated on her health condition.”She is very alert,” he told reporters.”She has concern not only about her own welfare but the welfare of the people of Myanmar, all of them.”Myanmar’s junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Suu Kyi and in 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi’s party won.She is generally not allowed telephone contact or outside visitors.Nampa-AP