'NO MORE BLOODSHED': Activists held up banners and pictures of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi outside Government House in Bangkok, as UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari met Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

After meeting Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggkram yesterday morning, Professor Gambari said arresting student leaders, forceful questioning, and intimidation 'run counter to the spirit of mutual engagement between the UN and Myanmar'.

The UN envoy is on the first leg of a six-nation swing through the region, aimed at producing a concerted approach to the Myanmar issue.

Thailand's proposal, which Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont urged Prof Gambari to put to India and China, was 'talks with Asean, China and India to end the unrest in Myanmar unconditionally...in the same way the UN did for the North Korean' nuclear talks.

'The talks should have no preconditions,' he said, adding that a decision to set them up could be made ahead of next month's Asean summit in Singapore.

General Surayud also said he would send a letter to the junta asking that Prof Gambari be allowed to return to Myanmar before the end of the month, and 'stay there long enough for him to complete his mission'.

Prof Gambari visited Myanmar on Sept 29, shortly after a crackdown in Yangon saw several pro-democracy protesters, including Buddhist monks, killed, and mass arrests and beatings of monks and civilians.

During that visit, he twice met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as junta supremo Than Shwe.

He also extracted an offer from the senior general of conditional talks with the 62-year-old leader of the National League for Democracy.

But apart from appointing a minister in charge of liaison with Ms Suu Kyi, and a slight easing of curfews and troop deployment in Yangon, there has been little substantive change since then.

Prof Gambari said yesterday the UN remained committed to a peaceful end to the crisis, and would work closely with Myanmar's neighbours.

'We could do better, all of us - including Thailand, China, Indonesia - but we are doing the best we can,' he said.

'The situation of Myanmar has changed, the international community has changed.

'This is the first time the UN has addressed this officially. What we can do is condemn the actions of the junta's military.'

The veteran Nigerian diplomat is set to visit Malaysia today, followed by Indonesia, Japan, India and China, and then re-visit Myanmar.

nirmal@sph.com.sg

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