"The talks are long overdue. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi and the other political prisoners is long overdue. Those are also the best way to avoid more sanctions."
What exactly does Gambari mean by saying that?? does he mean Daw Aung San Suu Kyi have to house arrested all da time???
F**k UN, F**K China...all only rely on bullsh!t.....
THE LAST WORD
We Don’t Do ‘Regime Change’
From the magazine issue dated Jan 28, 2008
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Ibrahim Gambari is the U.N. point man on one of the world's toughest regimes to charm, Burma. Since taking the job in May, Gambari has visited Rangoon several times, urging the junta to respect human rights and recognize the opposition led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. His last two visits came after the bloody September crackdown on monks protesting the rising price of fuel. Gambari is one of few outsiders to meet the secretive and isolated junta supremo, Than Shwe. He spoke with NEWSWEEK'S Patrick Falby on the state of Burma. Excerpts:
FALBY: You briefed the U.N. Security Council before it issued its first condemnation of the junta, then met Than Shwe. How'd it go?
GAMBARI: Um, I was received. [Laughs] The secretary-general [Ban Ki-moon] asked me to deliver some very tough messages to the senior general. In the very hierarchical system that they have, it was important for Than Shwe to hear them: demands for a stop to the killings; a removal of the curfew; removal of the military from the streets of major cities Yangon [Rangoon] and Mandalay; release of persons detained as a result of the crisis, but also release of political detainees, including especially, Aung San Suu Kyi. He was, of course, taken aback because they're pretty isolated. They were somewhat surprised about how the world thinks of them. From their point of view, this was a small minority of monks instigated from outside.
You've gone to Burma twice since the crackdown. How have negotiations gone?
We suggested a commencement of dialogue—the appointment of a government liaison officer to talk with Aung San Suu Kyi. We suggested appointment of a review commission to look at the Constitution. The other suggestion was to establish a poverty-alleviation commission to address the root causes of socioeconomic discontent because, after all, it was the increase in fuel prices that triggered the crisis. They did some of the things; others are still pending.
Many people say these half steps show the regime is not cooperating.
I don't get involved with that. I just want to judge it by what they commit to do and what they do and what we want to do.
They haven't lived up to their commitments.
No, no they haven't but …
You're still optimistic?
I refuse to say whether I'm optimistic or pessimistic. We told them, "These are the things you need to do. I will come back, I will check it on my checklist." There are not many checks yet. But the curfew has ended, the military has been removed from the streets, a large number of detained people have been released—although I was unhappy with the fact that some of them were rearrested or new people were arrested. So far, they've taken some steps—not as far as we want and not on all fronts—but they have taken some steps.
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