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News from Indian newspaper (r)



"Annan's envoy in Rangoon to broker peace"

Rangoon, Jan, 20: A United Nations envoy arrived in Rangoon on Tuesday
for a three day visit aimed at prodding Burma's ruling junta towards
democracy and encouraging dialogue with Opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi.
 Mr. Alvaro de Soto, who arrived from Singapore, was likely to urge the
ruling State Peace and Development Council to speed up the drafting of a
new Constitution and to hold elections as soon as possible, analysts
said.
 Mr. de Soto is a special envoy of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who
arranged the visit after meeting Burma's Prime Minister Than Shwe at a
regional summit in Kuala Lumpur last December.
 The envoy was scheduled to meet foreign minister Ohn Gyaw on Wednesday
and hold separate talks with Ms. Suu Kyi, who leads the National League
for Democracy.  He was expected to urge the SPDC to hold a dialogue with
Ms. Suu Kyi to help bring peace to the country, one analyst said.
 The SPDC has repeatedly refused to hold direct talks with Ms. Suu Kyi
since she was released from six years of house arrest in July 1995.  It
has also limited her political activities.  NLD members declined to
comment on Mr. De Soto's planned meeting with Ms. Suu Kyi.
 But exiled Burma Opposition activities in Bangkok said the NLD was
against new elections and instead wanted the junta to recognize the
results of the 1990 national election, which the NLD won by a landslide.

 The military ignored that result and has kept a tight grip on power
ever since.
 "The NLD and our organization share the political stance that we do not
want to have new elections.  We want the military regime and the UN to
recognize the 1990 elections," said Aung Naing Oo, secretary general of
the All Burma Students' Democratic Front.
 "Maybe Mr. Annan has made a mistake.  Why should we have a new election
when a valid election was already organized in 1990?"  Aung Naing Oo
said.
 In an open letter to Mr. de Soto, the ABSDF urged the envoy to ask the
government to re-open universities and colleges recently closed because
of student unrest.
 "Continued closures will adversely affect Burma's development and
result in further animosity between the students and the regime," it
wrote.  It also asked Mr. De Soto to raise the question of the more than
1,000 political prisoners held by the military.  (Reuter)

"  THE ASIAN AGE " Newspaper
Date: 21 January 1998.