UN secretary-general to visit Myanmar this week

Jun 30, 2009, 2:54 GMT

   New York - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Myanmar this week to discuss the issue of political prisoners including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the UN said Tuesday.

   Ban will visit Myanmar on Friday and Saturday, his office said.

Spokeswoman Michele Montas said Ban 'looks forward to returning to Myanmar to address directly with the senior leadership a broad range of issues, including longstanding concerns to the United Nations and to the international community.'

   The secretary-general last visited Myanmar in May 2008, in the wake of Cyclone Nargis that slammed into the central Irrawaddy delta region and killed up to 150,000 people.

   Ban is expected the discuss the issues of political prisoners, the resumption of dialogue between the government and opposition to achieve national reconciliation, and setting the stage for credible elections.

   'The secretary-general believes that the sooner these issues are addressed, the earlier Myanmar will be able to move towards peace, democracy and prosperity,' Montas said.

   'He looks forward to meeting all key stakeholders to discuss what further assistance the United Nations can offer to that end,' she said.

   Ban's visit will coincide with the resumption of the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, who stands accused of breaking the terms of her detention by allowing a US citizen to swim to her lakeside residence in Yangon where she was under house arrest for six years.

   Suu Kyi's case, being held at a special court set up in Yangon's Insein Prison, is scheduled to resume Friday with testimony from defence witness Khin Moe Moe, an attorney.

   Suu Kyi's trial began May 11. While the prosecution was allowed to present 14 witnesses in the first week, the defence was initially allowed only one. Later a second witness was permitted.

Critics say the military junta is using the case as a pretext to keep the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate in jail during a politically sensitive period, leading up to next year's general election.

   Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the 1990 general election by a landslide but has been blocked from power by Myanmar's junta for the past 19 years.

   The new trial of Suu Kyi, whose most recent six-year house detention sentence expired May 27, has sparked a chorus of protests from world leaders and even statements of concern from its regional allies in the Association of South-East Asian Nations.

   Ban will travel to Japan Tuesday where he is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and Prime Minister Taro Aso and Japanese business leaders.