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UN appreciates “constructive” meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar minister
The opposition leader and the Labour minister meet for more than an hour. Few details are release about what they discussed, but the focus remains the rule of law. More meetings are expected in the future. The UN’s Ban Ki-moon is encouraging the dialogue and has renewed his appeal for the release of the country’s 2,000 political prisoners.
Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Both sides said the meeting was satisfactory and constructive. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed his appreciation for the meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and a representative of the new military-backed Myanmar government that took office in April. It is the first tentative dialogue between the pro-democracy opposition and the country’s rulers, and it is expected that more will follow.
The meeting was held yesterday in a state guesthouse in Yangon. The Nobel Prize laureate met Aung Kyi, minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, for about 70 minutes.
Mr Aung Kyi was an official in the former military government and is a minister in the current civilian government, set up following last November’s phony election.
He was charged by the regime’s strongman, Senior General Than Shwe, to handle relations with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. It is their ninth meeting (pictured).
At the end of meeting, the head of the National league for Democracy (NLD) said, “[w]hatever we do or whoever we talk with, our main hope is for the benefit of the country and the people”.
Next to her, Aung Kyi added, “[w]e can say this is the first step towards cooperation and with regards to future work”.
Details of what was discussed have however been kept vague, although both sides are believed to have talked about rule of law in Myanmar, where corruption and political oppression are rife.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar minister.
A statement from his office said, “The Secretary-General encourages such contacts and dialogue."
At the same time, the Un chief appealed to the Myanmar government to release the over 2,000 political prisoners held in the nation’s prisons.