October 5, 2007
Myanmar Junta Sets Conditions
for Meeting Suu Kyi
Yangon
Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Than Shwe has agreed to meet
democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but only if she stops calling for
confrontation, "utter devastation" and economic sanctions against
the regime, state-media said Friday.
"If she declares to give them up, the senior general will personally
meet with her," said a government announcement published in The New
Light of Myanmar.
Than Shwe reportedly announced his conditions for meeting Suu Kyi to
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari Tuesday during a diplomatic
"courtesy call".
Than Shwe, 74, who heads Myanmar's all-powerful military since 1992,
is known to personally despise Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San,
Myanmar's independence hero who was assassinated in 1948.
He has never met the 1991 Nobel peace laureate and there is a great
deal of scepticism about his willingness to do so in the near
future.
The junta also invited the top US diplomat in Myanmar to meet senior
leaders of the regime. Shari Villarosa, charge d'affaires of the
downgraded US mission, travelled to the new administrative capital
of Naypyidaw, 350 km from Yangon, for talks Friday.
"Many Burmese suspect that having preconditions prior to the meeting
is aimed to be used as an excuse for the failure of meeting," said
Khin Maung Win, an editor at the Oslo-based opposition radio station
Democratic Voice of Burma.
"They are creating conditions in advance to blame Daw (Mrs) Aung San
Suu Kyi for the failure," he added.
Suu Kyi, 62, has been under house arrest in her family compound in
Yangon since May 2003.
A doubling of fuel prices sparked the latest round of protests on
Aug 15.
In Bangkok, leaders of Burmese democracy groups in exile cast doubt
on Than Shwe's intentions, but agreed that it could represent an
opening that should be explored.
The junta blamed the protests that have rocked Myanmar for more than
a month on "a political party and other organisations aspiring to
create unrest".
"Unrest occurred due to attempts of those who want to gain power
through shortcuts and that of some foreign nations to destabilise
the nation," said an official announcement.
It also blamed the international condemnation sparked by Myanmar's
crackdown on monk-led protests last week on "lopsided broadcasts of
some international media".
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