secretary-general, briefing security council

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13.07.09 ECRETARY-GENERAL, BRIEFING SECURITY COUNCIL, CALLS MYANMARS RANT MEETING WITH JAILED OPPOSITION LEADER A LOST OPPORTUNITY

Seite 1ttp://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sc9704.doc.htm

13 July 2009

Security CouncilSC/9704

Department of Public Information News and Media Division New York

Security Council

6161st Meeting (AM)

SECRETARY-GENERAL, BRIEFING SECURITY COUNCIL, CALLS MYANMARS REFUSAL

TO GRANT MEETING WITH JAILED OPPOSITION LEADER A LOST OPPORTUNITY

The refusal by Myanmars senior leadership to allow Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to meet withDaw Aung San Suu Kyi was not only a deep disappointment, but also a major lost opportunity for thecountry, he told the Security Council today.

Briefing the Council on his recent visit to Myanmar, he said that allowing such a meeting would

have sent a constructive, conciliatory signal inside the country and abroad. He said that, during twomeetings with Senior General Than Shwe, the Head of State, and one with General Thein Sein, the PrimeMinister, he had made special proposals with a particular focus on three outstanding concerns that couldundermine confidence in the political process if not addressed: the release of all political prisoners,including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; the resumption of a substantive dialogue between the Government andthe opposition; and the creation of conditions conducive to credible and legitimate elections in 2010.

He went on to say he had proposed that the senior leadership enhance cooperation with theUnited Nations to address pressing development needs through a broad-based process involving allsectors of society. Empowering the people to participate in development was equally important forstability, democracy and prosperity, and in order to ensure that Myanmar benefited fully from, andcontributed to, the regional and global economy. I have made clear my expectation, and that of theinternational community, that the Government needs to deliver on the promise to make the 2010 electionsinclusive, free and fair, and to take necessary steps on my specific proposals in the very near future.

Senior General Than Shwe had pledged to ensure the elections were free and fair.

Before leaving Myanmar, the Secretary-General continued, he had been able publicly to reiteratea dual twofold message in a keynote speech to a large and diverse audience in Yangon: that, whileMyanmar had a unique and complex history, the challenges it faced as a country in transition wereneither exceptional nor insurmountable; and that the choice in the coming days and weeks would be forMyanmars leadership to meet their responsibilities or fail their own people. The world is now watchingclosely whether they will choose to act in the best interest of their country or ignore our concerns andexpectations and the needs of their people.

Myanmars representative responded by saying that the utmost had been done to accommodatethe Secretary-Generals requests, except the one for a meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi due to theSpecial Courts independent jurisdiction over the matter. The Secretary-General had discussed

Myanmars social and economic development at length with the Prime Minister, who had noted that someStates had imposed economic sanctions on the country instead of providing assistance and cooperation.The Government intended to implement all appropriate recommendations proposed by the Secretary-

General, including on such matters as amnesty for prisoners and technical assistance for the elections.

Myanmars acceptance of the Secretary-Generals good offices mission, as well as his two visitsin just over a year, were important milestones of its cooperation with the United Nations. His recent visithad been successful, whereas undue pressure from the outside, without full comprehension of thechallenges facing the country, would not be conducive to its home-grown political process. Myanmarposed no threat to international peace and security, therefore, no Council action was warranted.


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In the ensuing discussion, Council members stressed the importance of, and expressed supportfor, the role that the United Nations could play through the Secretary-Generals good offices. Whiledisappointed that he had been unable to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, most speakers underlined thenecessity of the unconditional release, not only of the Nobel Peace Laureate, but also of all other politicalprisoners in order to make the process leading to the 2010 elections free, transparent and participatory.

However, some speakers said the Secretary-Generals failure to meet with the opposition leadershould not be the only criterion by which the success of his visit should be judged. The authorities hadmade gains towards the goal of a democratic society through implementation of a seven-step road map,

of which the holding of general elections in 2010 would be an important step. The countrys internalaffairs should be handled by the Government, in consultation with the population and with the assistanceof the international community, some speakers said, welcoming the involvement of the Association ofSouth-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Chinas representative described the Secretary-Generals visit as significant and that its positiveoutcome deserved a fair assessment by the international community, adding that it would be unfair to turna blind eye to the progress that Myanmar had made. As an Asian country and a neighbour, China fullyunderstood Myanmars challenges, the biggest of which was development. In addition, armed groupsinside the country had not yet signed peace agreements with the Government. National unity andreconciliation were, therefore, another big challenge. Hopefully the international sanctions againstMyanmar would be lifted, which was necessary for the creation of an enabling environment fordevelopment. Events occurring inside Myanmar were internal matters that posed no threat to internationalpeace and security.

The representative of the United Kingdom emphasized, however, that the visit had been anopportunity for the Government to transform its relationship with the international community, and itsfailure to take that opportunity only served to isolate the regime further. Without improvement in thesituation, including an acceptable outcome to the trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the internationalcommunity must react firmly, he stressed.

Frances representative added that that the Myanmar Government had not only done nothing tomeet the Councils demands, but it had taken decisions to counter those demands. A genuine process ofnational reconciliation was a precondition of which the release of Aung San Suu Kyi was an essentialpart. However, the current impasse was no reason for the international community to do nothing. Whilethe Council must respond firmly if she was found guilty, inaction must not be the price of a unifiedresponse.

Also making statements were the representatives of Mexico, Japan, United States, Austria, VietNam, Russian Federation, Croatia, Turkey, Libya, Costa Rica, Burkina Faso and Uganda.

The meeting began at 11:38 a.m. and adjourned at 1:19 p.m.

Background

Meeting to consider the situation in Myanmar, the Security Council heard a briefing by theSecretary-General on his recent visit to that country.

Briefing

BAN KI-MOON, Secretary-General of the United Nations, commended the Council and the Groupof Friends on Myanmar for supporting his 3-4 July visit to Myanmar and his good offices in that regard.The trips objective was to engage the countrys senior leadership directly on several serious and long-standing concerns which could not be left unaddressed at the current critical stage of Myanmarstransition. Given the attention on the ongoing trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and on the eve ofMyanmars first election in 20 years, it was necessary to raise those concerns and extend United Nationsassistance to advance national reconciliation, democracy, respect for human rights and sustainabledevelopment. The refusal of the senior leadership to allow me to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wasnot only a deep disappointment, but also a major lost opportunity for Myanmar, he said.

Allowing such a meeting would have sent a constructive, conciliatory signal inside the country and


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abroad, he continued. During two meetings with Senior General Than Shwe and one meeting with thePrime Minister, General Thein Sein, there had been extensive discussions on the need for Myanmar totake meaningful steps on the five-point agenda developed in the context of the Secretary-Generals goodoffices, and on humanitarian issues. He had made special proposals with a particular focus on threeoutstanding concerns that could undermine confidence in the political process if left unaddressed: therelease of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; the resumption of a substantivedialogue between the Government and the opposition; and the creation of conditions conducive tocredible and legitimate elections.

It was essential to address those concerns in order to ensure that the political process wasinclusive and served the interest of all Myanmars people in a way that could be broadly accepted by theinternational community, he stressed, adding that he had met with registered political parties and ethnicceasefire groups, and shared their views with the authorities. Encouraging both groups to remainconstructive in the political process, he said any successful transition would require overcomingMyanmars twin legacy of political deadlock and civil conflict. It was in everyones interest to ensure thatany gains made thus far were irreversible. The Government was primarily obligated to address theconcerns of all stakeholders, but every stakeholder had a role to play.

The Secretary-General said he had witnessed the progress made over the past year in recoveryand reconstruction of cyclone-affected areas of the country, thanks to unprecedented cooperationbetween Myanmar, the United Nations and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). In allhis meetings, he had stressed the need to consolidate and build on those efforts to ensure that assistancein the Delta was expedited and that humanitarian access was expanded to reach all vulnerable groups

nationwide. There was no justification for the Government to allow humanitarian access to some peopleand not others.

He said he had proposed to the senior leadership that it enhance cooperation with the UnitedNations to address pressing development needs through a broad-based process involving all sectors ofsociety. Empowering the people to participate in development was equally important for stability,democracy and prosperity, and in order to ensure that Myanmar benefited fully from and contributed to theregional and global economy. My visit offered the clearest signal of the United Nations commitment towork with the Government and people of Myanmar to address issues that are of fundamental importancefor the prospects of durable peace, democracy and development, he said. What is more important isnot so much what I came back with, but what I left behind with the authorities.

The Secretary-General, continued: I have made clear my expectation and that of theinternational community that the Government needs to deliver on the promise to make the 2010 elections

inclusive, free and fair, and to take necessary steps on my specific proposals in the very near future. Inthat connection, Senior General Than Shwe had pledged to make the elections free and fair. It wasnecessary to ensure the credibility of the process and to demonstrate concretely Myanmars commitmentto cooperate with the international community.

Before leaving Myanmar, he said, he had had the opportunity publicly to reiterate all hismessages in a keynote speech to a large and diverse audience in Yangon. His message had beentwofold. While Myanmar had a unique and complex history, the challenges it faced as a country intransition were neither exceptional nor insurmountable. None of the challenges facing Myanmar today !!political, humanitarian, development !! could be addressed on its own and failure to address them withequal attention could undermine prospects for durable peace, democracy and prosperity. Myanmar wasnot alone. Continued support for the Secretary-Generals good offices and encouragement !! particularlyfrom neighbouring and ASEAN countries !! to the Myanmar authorities was even more important and

necessary.

While welcoming the continuing support for his efforts from G-8 leaders and from the Group ofFriends of Myanmar, he said ultimately it was the people of Myanmar who would bear the cost of any lackof engagement and cooperation by their Government with the United Nations and the internationalcommunity. That was why Myanmars leaders had a responsibility to their people and the internationalcommunity to respond to his proposals. The choice in the coming days and weeks would be for them tomeet that responsibility or fail their own people, he said, stressing that the world is now watching closelywhether they will choose to act in the best interest of their country or ignore our concerns andexpectations and the needs of their people.


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U THAN SWE (Myanmar), noting that the Secretary-Generals visit to his country had been thesecond in just over a year, said the utmost had been done to accommodate his requests, except the onefor a meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In his meetings with Senior General Than Shwe, theSecretary-General had expressed the views of the United Nations and the international community, whilethe Senior General had thoroughly explained the developments of Myanmars political process,highlighting the Governments two most important priorities: to hand over State power to a civilianGovernment after the 2010 general elections, and to lay a foundation for future socio-economicdevelopment. He had assured that the 2010 general elections would be free, fair and credible, and thathe would arrange for participation of all citizens.

He said the Head of State had been willing to arrange a meeting between the Secretary-Generaland Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but had not been able to do so because the Special Court had independentjurisdiction over the matter, as had been clearly explained. Arrangements had been made for theSecretary-General to meet with leaders and representative of 10 officially registered political parties,including the National League for Democracy, and former armed groups. On his request, a public Thankyou event had also been arranged by the Myanmar Government.

He said the Secretary-General had discussed Myanmars social and economic development atlength with the Prime Minister, noting that some States had imposed economic sanctions on the countryinstead of providing assistance and cooperation. Regrettably, official development assistance per capitawas less than $3, which was minimal compared to that of other similar countries. The Prime Minister hadstressed that such policies hindered development and had had an impact mainly at grass-roots levels. Itwould be more constructive if the international community viewed the situation of Myanmar in a wider

perspective.

The Government of Myanmar intended to implement all appropriate recommendations proposedby the Secretary-General he said. It was processing amnesty granted to prisoners on humanitariangrounds, with a view to enabling them to participate in the general elections. With regard to the NationalEconomic Forum, the Government would cooperate with the United Nations in the agriculture, livestockand fishery sectors and on technical assistance for the elections. The State would enact the political partyregistration law and election law in due time. Myanmars acceptance of the Secretary-Generals goodoffices role, as well as his two visits in just over a year, were important milestones of cooperationbetween Myanmar and the United Nations. The Secretary-Generals visit had been a successful one.

Today, Myanmar was steadfastly proceeding on its chosen path to democracy, he said, addingthat the challenges it faced were complex and multifaceted. Surrounded by countries with differentpolitical systems, cultures and religions, Myanmar was a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, which

must be neutral and seek harmony with its neighbours for the stability of the region. Undue pressure fromthe outside without full comprehension of the challenges facing the country would not be conducive to itshome-grown political process. Myanmar was making significant strides in national reconsolidation anddemocratization processes. As the country was not a threat to international peace and security, noCouncil action was warranted.

PHILIP PARHAM (United Kingdom) said that, by going to Burma, the Secretary-General haddemonstrated the commitment of the United Nations to progress in the areas of democracy, human rightsand development. The United Kingdom welcomed the Secretary-Generals unambiguous messages onthe need for political reform, which reflected the international communitys concerns. Council statementshad set out what must happen, including the release of political prisoners !! in particular Daw Aung SanSuu Kyi !! and the resumption of dialogue with all political parties !! including the National DemocraticParty !! and ethnic groups.

Echoing the Secretary-Generals disappointment that he had not been allowed to meet with DawAung San Suu Kyi, particularly at the time of a trial that was a judicial travesty, he said she had anessential role to play in establishing democracy in the country. The Secretary-Generals visit was anopportunity for the Government to transform its relationship with the international community, and itsfailure to take that opportunity only served to isolate the regime further.

If there was no improvement, including an acceptable outcome to the trial of Daw Aung San SuuKyi, the international community must react firmly, he stressed, urging the regime to engage constructivelyto meet the international communitys concerns. The United Kingdom remained committed to work withpartners to start a reconciliation process in Burma, and supported the good offices of the Secretary-


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General. The Governments road map and the elections would have no credibility if the politicalprisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, could play no part.

CLAUDE HELLER (Mexico) said the Secretary-Generals visit had taken place at a propitioustime. It had not only enabled him to assess the status of rebuilding in the country following CycloneNargis, but also to assess the situation leading up to general elections in 2010. Reconstruction efforts,made thanks to cooperation among the United Nations, ASEAN and the Government of Myanmar, throughthe Tripartite Core Group, as well as the donor community, must continue. However, there were manypolitical challenges to ensuring that the 2010 elections would be transparent and fully inclusive. They

must be aimed at facilitating a peaceful transition towards democracy and reconciliation, with a priority onstrengthening the rule of law and human rights.

The elections should not only have the support of the Government, but also that of all registeredpolitical parties and any rebel groups that had shown readiness to lay down their weapons, he said.Mexico hoped that the Government would create the conditions necessary for dialogue with ethnicminorities in order to facilitate national reconciliation. All political prisoners must be released as soon aspossible as their participation in the elections would guarantee the credibility and legitimacy of theelectoral process. Mexico would have preferred that Senior General Than Shwe had allowed theSecretary-General to visit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who remained under house arrest. The Governmentnow had an opportunity to strengthen the national reconciliation process, which would allow people toenjoy their civil and political rights, consolidate peace and lay the groundwork for economic development.

Expressing concern about the constant flow of refugees from Myanmar into Thailand, he urged all

regional actors to take the necessary measures to ensure that the more than 100,000 refugees wouldhave adequate protection and shelter. Mexico was also concerned about the situation of child soldiers,since Government efforts to address that issue thus far had been insufficient. The Government shouldcooperate with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict inensuring that child soldiers were reunited with their families and reintegrated into civilian life.

JEAN-MAURICE RIPERT (France) said that, although the Secretary-General had conveyed theexpectations of the international community, the Government had unfortunately refused to cooperate andhad not allowed him to visit Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It had, therefore, indicated its rejection of a nationalreconciliation process. The international community had shown its readiness to work constructively tosupport reconciliation and development with strict respect for sovereignty, but the hand that the Secretary-General had offered had been ignored.

He said the Council had set out clear and precise expectations, the first of which was the rapidrelease of all political prisoners. However, their number had increased instead. Far from initiating adialogue with political parties and ethnic groups, the authorities had unilaterally implemented a road mapwhich had led to increased politicization. Not only had the Government done nothing to meet theCouncils demands, it had taken decisions to counter those demands. A genuine process of nationalreconciliation was a precondition of which the release of Aung San Suu Kyi was an essential part.However, the current impasse was no reason for the international community to do nothing. The Councilmust respond firmly if she was found guilty, but inaction must not be the price of its unity.

YUKIO TAKASU (Japan) stressed his countrys support for the Secretary-Generals good offices,which it had conveyed to the Government of Myanmar in close dialogues. The Government had beenimplementing a road map for democratization, which was now at a crucial stage with internationalattention focused on the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Secretary-General had called for the release ofpolitical prisoners, the resumption of dialogue, the holding of elections in 2010, improvements in human

rights, national reconciliation and the establishment of a National Economic Forum. Japan wasdisappointed that the Secretary-General had not been able meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, but his visit asa whole had been very useful. The Secretary-General was, after all, one of the few political leaders whocould convey the concerns of the international community to the highest level of the Myanmar leadership.

He said the Secretary-General had had a full and detailed exchange of views with the leadershipon the concrete steps that must be taken. It was also significant that the Secretary-General had beenable to meet with representatives of all political parties, including the National Democratic Party, and tomake a public address. Hopefully Myanmar would seriously consider all international concerns and comeup with a positive response. The Government should match words with deeds. Regarding Aung SanSuu Kyi, Japan appealed to the Government to take appropriate and lenient action. For the international


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community, it was important to respond positively with concrete steps. The Secretary-Generals goodoffices did not end with one visit, and Japan would continue to lend its support.

ROSEMARY DICARLO (United States) expressed hope that the Burmese Government wouldimplement all the Secretary-Generals recommendations. While the Secretary-General had been able tomeet with Senior General Than Shwe, the United States was strongly disappointed that the authoritieshad turned down his request to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and awaited a response to thechallenges that the Secretary-General had presented. If the authorities failed to address thosechallenges, they would miss a critical opportunity. The current path led neither to democracy nor to

stability, and the people would be the ones to suffer. There could be no free and fair elections while keyopposition leaders, including Ms. Suu Kyi, and more than 2,000 political prisoners languished in prison.The authorities were clearly not respecting the popular will by putting the opposition leader on trial.

It was troubling that the authorities continued to fail to address grave human rights challenges,including the plight of refugees fleeing into Thailand she said, adding that the failure raised a red flagabout the treatment of ethnic groups. Such problems could not be resolved by plans that lackedlegitimacy, which could only be achieved through a genuine dialogue, including with the opposition and allethnic groups. The United States recognized the crucial contribution of the Tripartite Core Group in thewake of Cyclone Nargis and called for the granting of visas to aid workers. The Secretary-General hadcalled for immediate Government action to avoid more wasted lives, missed opportunities and prolongedisolation. The United States could not agree more. The Government must understand that those aroundthe Council table stood ready to help. It had called cooperation with the United Nations a cornerstone ofits foreign policy, and now was the time for it to match its words with deeds.

THOMAS MAYR-HARTING (Austria) noted with great concern that, during the past year, thehuman rights situation in Myanmar had deteriorated significantly. Daw Aung Sang Sui Kyi had beendetained as consequence of an alleged breach of her house arrest, which, according to the United NationsWorking Group on Arbitrary Detention, violated international and Myanmar law. Recent intense fighting inthe east had forced thousands of civilians to flee to neighbouring States. Such developments did notbode well for Myanmars plans for a peaceful transition to democracy. The areas covered during theSecretary-Generals visit !! the release of all political prisoners, the resumption of substantive and time-bound dialogue, and the creation of an environment conducive to free and fair elections, nationaldevelopment and humanitarian assistance !! were of great relevance.

Expressing disappointment with the Governments decision to deny the Secretary-General ameeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he said the Government had missed an important opportunity todemonstrate effective cooperation and political openness. Austria urged the Government to immediately

and unconditionally release Ms. Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and detainees. Concerned about thehigh level of poverty and human suffering in Myanmar, Austria strongly commended the efforts of theGovernment, the United Nations and ASEAN, in the framework of the Tripartite Core Group, to respond toCyclone Nargis, and hoped that spirit of openness would be applied to future practical issues relating tohumanitarian aid, development cooperation and the proposed creation of a national economic forum.

BUI THE GIANG (Viet Nam) said the Secretary-Generals visit had confirmed the role of theUnited Nations as a key mediator, as well as its commitment to helping the Government and people ofMyanmar with a broad-based, forward-looking package. All activities scheduled for the visit had beenrealized, except one. Viet Nam regretted, but understood from the local legal perspective, the Secretary-Generals inability to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Secretary-Generals meeting with theTripartite Core Groups was very important as it added value to the successful cooperation between theUnited Nations, ASEAN and the Government of Myanmar.

He said the visit had proved to be a meaningful step in a process that was needed in order forMyanmar to become a peaceful, stable and prosperous country. The people of Myanmar woulddetermine their own destiny in that process, but international assistance would be effective if it was basedon engagement and cooperation with the Government and people, as had been the case in the context ofthe seven-step road map towards democracy and national reconciliation. Viet Nam supported acomprehensive approach to address the root causes of the countrys problems, which lay in poverty andeconomic underdevelopment. United Nations agencies and donors should and could play a more activerole in that regard. Viet Nam also supported the Secretary-Generals good offices.

VITALY CHURKIN (Russian Federation), describing the Secretary-Generals visit as timely, noted


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that he had met twice with the Head of State, as well as with other Government leaders and oppositionrepresentatives, including the National League for Democracy. He had also visited regions affected byCyclone Nargis and been allowed to speak publicly. Although he had hoped to meet with Aung San SuuKyi, the fact that he had not been able to do so should not be the only criterion for judging the visit. Hehad conveyed the importance of democracy and reaffirmed the international communitys readiness toprovide assistance.

He said the good offices mission was a process, noting that many of the issues concerned couldnot be resolved immediately. The Russian Federation counted in that regard on the constructive efforts of

Ibrahim Gambari, the Secretary-Generals Special Adviser. Myanmar was preparing for general elections,which was the latest stage in implementing its road map towards democracy. Assurances had beengiven that all political parties could participate in the elections. Grateful for the Secretary-Generalspersonal role in the good offices mission, the Russian Federation would continue to provide that missionwith the necessary assistance.

RANKO VILOVI! (Croatia) said he was particularly interested to learn about the impressions thatthe Secretary-General had drawn from his meeting with ethnic minority groups, and about the status ofhumanitarian and reconstruction efforts in the Delta since his first visit since Cyclone Nargis. Croatia wasencouraged by the good cooperation involving the Government of Myanmar, the United Nations andASEAN in that regard, but was deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the country. Giventhe complexity of the political situation, that was further complicated by the ongoing trial of Daw Aung SanSuu Kyi.

The Secretary-Generals visit also served an important purpose in laying out a vision forMyanmar, he said, adding that it showed that the Government had a choice on how to proceed. Croatiaregretted deeply that the leadership had chosen not to use the unique opportunity of the Secretary-Generals visit to work towards reform, and strongly urged the authorities to use his good offices missionand to cooperate by releasing all political prisoners, resuming the dialogue and reconciliation process, andcreating the conditions for free and fair elections.

LIU ZHENMIN (China) noted that some media and certain countries were not happy that theSecretary-General had not met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but the Secretary-General had met withmany other people. Meeting with her as well should not be used as a criterion for assessing the successof his visit. General Than Shwe had not made arrangements for the Secretary-General to meet with herand the United Nations must respect that decision by a Member State. During his visit, the Secretary-General had held in-depth dialogues with top leaders and that would play an important role inencouraging the democratic process. He had also had extensive contacts with other groups.

The Secretary-Generals visit had been significant and its positive outcome deserved to beassessed fairly by the international community, he said, noting that Myanmar would soon hold its firstgeneral election in 20 years. That would not have been possible without the Secretary-Generals goodoffices. It would be unfair to turn a blind eye to the progress Myanmar had made. The internationalcommunity should make a balanced assessment. As an Asian country and a neighbour, China fullyunderstood Myanmars challenges. A least developed country, it was self-sufficient in agriculture, butmost of its people were yet to reap the benefits of industrialization. Development was the countrysbiggest challenge. Armed groups inside the country had not yet signed peace agreements with theGovernment. National unity and reconciliation were, therefore, its biggest challenge.

It was obvious that Myanmars problems could not be addressed in a Western manner, he said,expressing hope that the Government would steadily reform and lead its people towards economic

prosperity, and that the international community would fairly assess the countrys challenges. Chinahoped the international sanctions against Myanmar would be lifted, which was necessary for the creationof an enabling environment for development. Events occurring inside Myanmar were internal affairs thatshould be handled by the Government, as they posed no threat to international peace and security.China was against isolating and sanctioning Myanmar and its position in that regard remainedunchanged. It was to be hoped that ASEAN and other countries in the region would work together to helpMyanmar address its difficulties.

FAZLI ORMAN (Turkey) welcomed some positive developments in the political and economicdomains, including the ceasefire agreements with armed groups and the facilitation of external trade andinvestment. However, there was a need for more substantive and tangible progress on the protection of


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human rights and political freedoms. The 2010 elections would be a critical test, and ought to be free andfair. All political parties should be allowed to campaign for and participate freely in those elections. TheGovernment should also establish the necessary conditions for national reconciliation.

He said it was unfortunate that, as a leading opposition figure, Aung San Suu Kyi had spent13 years under house arrest, adding that her trial raised important question marks yet again. TheGovernments refusal to allow the Secretary-General to visit her was not a welcome development and itwas high time it heeded the repeated appeals of the Council and released all political prisoners, whichwas essential for the establishment of a political environment conducive to dialogue, conciliation and

mutual respect. Turkey hoped all parties would seize the historic opportunity presented by the 2010elections to embark upon an irreversible track towards national reconciliation and peace.

IBRAHIM DABBASHI (Libya), while expressing disappointment that the Secretary-General hadnot been able to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, said he understood the Governments views. TheSecretary-Generals good offices efforts had nevertheless led to real and positive developments. TheGovernment had promised to move forward, among other things, on the commitment to continue itsseven-step road map and to announce, at the right time, the date for the 2010 elections. There was aneed to continue dialogue with the Government in order to urge the release of all political prisoners,including Aung San Suu Kyi, and a resumption of dialogue with political parties, including the NationalLeague for Democracy, while respecting human rights. Coordination between the United Nations andASEAN was important in order to bring about tangible results.

He said his country had always stressed that the internal affairs of States must be dealt with

through constructive dialogue between the Government and other parties concerned, with the assistanceof the international community. Libya commended in that regard the role undertaken by ASEAN andaffirmed its support for the Secretary-Generals good offices mission. Hopefully Myanmar would soonachieve democracy, development and national reconciliation. The countrys future was in the hand of itspeople alone and all should work together to ensure that that future would be a prosperous one.

JORGE URBINA (Costa Rica) expressed displeasure over the behaviour of the MyanmarGovernment, saying it was disturbing that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was on trial while the number ofpolitical prisoners remained consistently high. There was need for a gradual change from a policy ofsanctions and isolation towards a model of greater cooperation and opportunity that would lead toinclusive dialogue, reconciliation and democracy. That change required the Government to work activelytowards reform. Lasting peace and economic development depended on participation and joint action.

Welcoming the statement by the representative of Myanmar that the Government was givingpriority to a transfer of power to a civilian Government in 2010, he said the political process must respectthe rights of all people and provide guarantees for everyones freedom. Political repression and the denialof rights could not continue. Costa Rica called on the Government to release all political prisoners andrestore the rights of Ms. Suu Kyi. There was an urgent need to reinvigorate the national reconciliationprocess, which was fundamentally important for any future economic development. Costa Rica alsostressed the need for greater access to international humanitarian assistance.

BONAVENTURE KOUDOUGOU (Burkina Faso) thanked the Secretary-General for breathing newlife into the reconciliation and democratization process, and welcomed his meeting with Senior GeneralThan Shwe and development partners. It was regrettable, however, that it had not been possible for theSecretary-General to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he said, urging the Government to release allpolitical prisoners, establish an ongoing dialogue with all political actors and create an enablingenvironment for the 2010 elections. In light of the importance of those elections, there was a need for

appropriate legislation to create a competent structure to manage those elections.

He said he was encouraged by the Governments commitment to the elections, as expressedearlier by Myanmars representative, and welcomed the meeting between the Council and the TripartiteCore Group regarding reconstruction in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Burkina Faso was encouragedby the Governments efforts to further facilitate humanitarian access to the affected zones, and called onthe Government to facilitate implementation of the national economic forum, with a focus on agricultureand development. It was encouraging that several armed groups had chosen to observe the ceasefire,and others were encouraged to follow suit and join the political process.

RUHAKANA RUGUNDA (Uganda), Council President, spoke in his national capacity, stating that


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elections, step five of the Governments seven-step road map to democracy, would be an important stageas they would contribute to democratization. The Government should ensure that the elections were free,transparent and inclusive. Uganda called on the Government and parties to pursue dialogue andreconciliation and for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

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secretary-general, briefing security council

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