United Nations Special Envoy is Inside Myanmar, Meeting with Officials

Ibrahim Gambari, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, spent his third day in Myanmar (also known as Burma), on his second trip there in two months, according to a UN press release issued on Monday.

The Myanmar military government has been condemned by much of the world since it violently cracked down in September on peaceful protests led by the country's Buddhist monks.

Just this past Friday, the day before Gambari was scheduled to arrive, the Myanmar government had said that it wanted to expel Charles Petrie, another United Nations representative, who was working in their country. The Myanmar government was angry about a statement the UN Country Team, headed by Petrie, had issued on October 24 that contained comments about Myanmar's socio-economic situation that the government deemed inappropriate.

When Special Envoy Gambari arrived in Myanmar on Saturday, he met with Resident Coordinator Petrie and told him that he had the support of the United Nation's Secretary-General.

According to anonymous sources who talked to the AP, Gambari also met with representatives of the International Red Cross, but more information about the meeting was not yet available.

On November 1, the International Red Cross had issued a statement officially asking the government of Myamar to give it access to all people being detained by the government, especially those who were locked up in connection with the protests in September and October. Many of the families of the detainees don't know where their relatives are. The Red Cross wants to restore contact between the detainees and their families and to check to see if the detainees are being treated humanely, as required by international law.

Sources

Special envoy tackles relations between Myanmar and UN country team , UN News Centre, November 5, 2007

Ban Ki-moon 'disappointed' by Myanmar's attempt to end UN official's service, UN News Centre, November 2, 2007

UN envoy meets with Red Cross in Myanmar, AP, November 5, 2007

The ICRC prepared to resume visits to detainees in Myanmar, Official Statement, November 1, 2007

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