UN concerned about Myanmar arrests

UN concerned about Myanmar arrests

MALAYSIA: The UN special envoy to Myanmar, Razali Ismail, expressed concern on Saturday about the arrest of several pro- democracy leaders by the military junta and its move to ban groups from commemorating a key pre-independence event.

"The United Nations is very concerned at the arrest. We are following the situation very closely," Razali told AFP.

Among those held are Hkun Htun Oo, the chairman of the Shan National League for Democracy.

The military has also prohibited the United Nationalities Alliance, Myanmar's leading coalition of pro-democracy ethnic political parties, from commemorating Union Day on Feb. 12.

Razali, a former top Malaysian diplomat, said in principle the alliance had the right to commemorate Union Day.

On that day in 1947, various ethnic communities within what was then known as Burma unanimously called for independence from Britain.

Burma became independent a year later, but has been ruled by a military dictatorship since the 1960s.

The U.S. slammed Myanmar's military junta on Friday over the arrests.

Razali also expressed concern that he had not been allowed to return to the isolated Asian country, where he has pushed for democratic reforms. -- AFP