From The Sunday Times :

September 29, 2007
Burma junta blocks UN meeting
A crucial UN mission to meet with detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is facing failure after generals refuse access

Reform talks with the ruling junta - which for the time being appears to have successfully suppressed weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations - are considered vital by the UN
Kenneth Denby in Rangoon

A crucial United Nations mission to Burma is facing failure before it has even begun, after the country's ruling generals refused to allow a meeting with the detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

UN, Chinese and western diplomats are attempting to pressure the Burmese generals to allow Ibrahim Gambari, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Burma, to meet Ms Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been held under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years.

Such a meeting is regarded by western governments as crucial in urging reform on the junta, which for the time being at least appears to have successfully suppressed weeks of rising demonstrations by monks and ordinary Burmese. Mr Gambari is coming under pressure to refuse to meet Burma's leading general, Than Shwe, if he is denied a separate meeting with Ms Suu Kyi.

"What Gambari's got to do is be prepared to provoke a crisis," a western diplomat told The Times in Rangoon this afternoon. " [...]

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