Security Council to Meet Again on Burma

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was scheduled to hold a close door meeting on Burma on Thursday, according to the UN’s official Web site.

The meeting will be the fourth such session since the Burmese regime’s brutal crackdown on September’s demonstrations.

At one of the meetings, on October 11, a presidential statement (a non-binding resolution) was issued, saying: “The Security Council strongly deplores the use of violence against peaceful demonstrations in Myanmar [Burma].” And it added: “The Security Council emphasizes the importance of the early release of all political prisoners and remaining detainees.”

Nyan Win, spokesman for the National League for Democracy (NLD) told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the NLD welcomes the UNSC efforts on behalf of democracy in Burma.

Nyan Win said the NLD had written a letter of support recently to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The letter had appealed for “real actions” to be taken to advance Burma’s transition to democracy.

San Aung, of the National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB), Burma’s government in exile, drew attention to the continuing efforts of UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who plans another trip to Burma, as well as to India and China.

India, China and Burma’s partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should all use their influence and support UN efforts to bring political change in Burma, said Nicholas Burns, US under-secretary of state for political affairs, in a commentary published by the Washington Post on January 8.

Burns said the UN should increase diplomatic efforts to bring democracy to Burma.

“The US is convinced that the only way to achieve this objective is through the sort of broad national dialogue that Gambari is trying to facilitate with Security Council support,” he said.

Gambari last visited Burma in early November, 2007.  The Nigerian diplomat said on December 18 that he expects to return to Burma by January, but the Burmese junta is delaying the visit, which may now come in April, according to analysts.