Razali hopeful of Myanmar talks

Razali hopeful of Myanmar talks

YANGON (Reuters): UN envoy Razali Ismail ended a four day
visit to Myanmar this week hopeful of progress in landmark talks
between the military government and opposition, the United
Nations said in a statement.

Razali left Myanmar on Thursday after a series of meetings
with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling
generals refusing to comment on progress in the confidential
talks, which have now been continuing in secret for 10 months.

"I can only say that I'm satisfied. I should not say anything
more as negotiations are still under way," Razali told Malaysia's
Bernama news agency.

The United Nations said in a statement Razali believed both
sides involved in the talks wanted reconciliation.

"A United Nations envoy today confirmed that all parties to
the conflict in Myanmar remained committed to the process of
national reconciliation and expressed hope about the possibility
of further progress in the ongoing talks between the government
and the National League for Democracy (NLD)," the statement said.

Suu Kui's NLD won Maynmar's last elections in 1990 by a
landslide but has never been allowed to govern. Instead, its
members have been detained and harassed.

Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has been under
de facto house arrest for almost a year.

Diplomats in Yangon who were briefed by Razali have said the
political dialogue in Myanmar has reached a sensitive stage.

Tensions between the two sides have eased in recent months and
the military has released more than 150 political prisoners
including two top NLD leaders.

NLD Chairman Aung Shwe and Vice Chairman Tin Oo were both
released from de facto house arrest on the eve of Razali's
arrival in Yangon in a move widely seen as a goodwill gesture by
the military.

But there has been persistent speculation that the talks have
hit an impasse.

Suu Kyi's refusal to attend an important official ceremony
last month was interpreted by some diplomats as a signal that the
talks had run into problems.

Despite the releases of NLD members, Amnesty International
estimates there are still 1,500 political prisoners in Myanmar.
The government insists it is committed to moving towards
democracy, but that too fast a transition would risk anarchy and
national disintegration.

Razali held talks with leaders of Myanmar's ethnic minorities,
whose support for any transition in Myanmar would be vital.

Khun Tun Oo, leader of the Shan Nationalities League for
Democracy (SNLD), said Razali had appeared positive over the
talks between Suu Kyi and the military.

"Mr Razali is becoming more optimistic about the ongoing
talks," he told Reuters after meeting the UN envoy.
The SNLD came in second in the 1990 elections.

The UN statement said Razali would report the results of his
mission to Myanmar to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan when he
visits New York in September.