Burma junta blamed for UN chief's failed visit

The opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi said today the United Nations’ secretary-general’s recent trip to military-ruled Myanmar was a failure but it was not his fault.

Nyan Win, spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, said UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s “failure to achieve his objectives was not due to a lack of effort but a lack of willingness and genuine goodwill on the part of the government”.

Ban Ki-moon ended a two-day mission to Myanmar on Saturday saying he was “deeply disappointed” that the country’s military ruler had rejected his requests to visit Suu Kyi in jail

Nyan Win said: “Mr Ban’s visit was not successful as he was unable to achieve his main goals and was not allowed to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.”

“Daw” is a term of respect used for older women.

In two days of rare talks with Senior General Than Shwe, the UN chief urged the reclusive 76-year-old autocrat to release Suu Kyi and an estimated 2,100 other political prisoners and embark on democratic reforms ahead of elections scheduled for next year.

The visit achieved no immediate results.

The 64-year-old Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years. Her opposition party won national elections in 1990, but Burma’s generals refused to relinquish power.

In May, Suu Kyi was charged with violating the terms of her house arrest when an uninvited American man swam secretly to her lakeside home and stayed for two days. Suu Kyi’s trial was set to resume after a monthlong delay on Friday, the same day the UN chief arrived. But the court met for a brief session to adjourn until July 10.

“I pressed as hard as I could” to see Suu Kyi, Ban told reporters after meeting Than Shwe. “I had hoped that he would agree to my request, but it is regrettable that he did not.”

Burma has been ruled by a military government since 1962.