Burma
Gambari and Burma's neighbours
During the second week of July, the UN secretary-general's special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, held a series of high-level meetings in two of Rangoon's most crucial neighbouring capitals, Beijing and New Delhi. This followed up on two highly publicised fact-finding trips to Burma, in November and May, when Gambari became the first foreigner in years to speak with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Both Beijing and New Delhi have, over the past year, been repeatedly criticised by human-rights groups for increasing their economic ties with the Rangoon junta.
Late last year, the US spearheaded an attempt to convince the UN Security Council to take up the issue of Burma's ongoing human-rights violations, though that push was ultimately thwarted by China and Russia. Nonetheless, Washington, DC remains a key player in dealing with Burma, and in preparation for his July trip, Gambari met with US officials. At that time, the US also restarted direct communications with Burma for the first time in years, at a high-level meeting in Beijing.
U Han Thar Myint, the spokesperson for Suu Kyi's political party, the National League for Democracy, welcomed Gambari's return to Asia, but cautioned that the only way towards progress would be to convince the junta to hold talks with the country's opposition political groups and minority communities. "Given the close relationship between the military junta and China," he noted, "there is no other country but China that could send a clear message to the Burmese regime." (Gambari is slated to return to Burma itself in September.)
From India, Gambari travelled to Japan, one of Burma's largest donors. There was no official explanation as to why Gambari was not visiting Bangkok, which is currently helping the junta build the USD 6 billion Ta Sang dam on the Salween River.