Lift sanctions if you want stability, Burma tells UN envoy

A leader of Burma’s military regime gave the United Nations’ visiting envoy a cold reception, telling him the world body should lift economic sanctions and visa bans if it wanted to see political stability.

Special envoy Ibrahim Gambari met prime minister General Thein Sein before ending his four-day visit with no public comment – and no sign of progress on promoting democracy and political reconciliation.

Burma’s military, which has ruled the country since 1962, tolerates virtually no dissent.

Western nations, including the US, impose economic and political sanctions on Burma, also known as Myanmar, because of its poor human rights record and failure to restore democracy.

Mr Gambari reportedly asked Gen Thein Sein to release more political prisoners, to consider a dialogue with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and to make the military-guided political process inclusive for all.

“If the UN wants to see economic development and political stability, the UN should first try to remove economic sanctions and visa bans,” was the prime minister’s response, according to state television.

Gen Thein Sein said economic sanctions amounted to human rights violations, affecting health, economic and social conditions.

On Monday, Mr Gambari met Ms Suu Kyi, a minor breakthrough because she had refused to see him on his previous visit in August last year. She has expressed disappointment with the UN’s failure to persuade the ruling junta to give up its monopoly on power.

Ms Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, has been detained more than 13 of the past 19 years.

Mr Gambari did not meet junta chief Senior General Than Shwe during this week’s visit, as he did on his previous three trips.

The United Nations largely failed to nudge the military regime towards talks with the opposition, hoping the top generals would respond to international pressure to embrace national reconciliation following its violent suppression of protests in 2007.

Human rights groups say Burma now holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, up sharply from nearly 1,200 before the mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 2007.

Burma’s current military leadership came to power in 1988 after crushing a nationwide pro-democracy movement. It held elections in 1990 but refused to honour the results after Ms Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory.