Mr Ibrahim Gambari speaks in Kuala Lumpur on October 17. Pic: AFP

THE United Nations special envoy to Myanmar, Mr Ibrahim Gambari, stressed the importance of promoting dialogue aimed at national reconciliation in Myanmar as he concluded his six-nation Asian tour to seek regional support to promote such talks.

Mr Gambari visited Tokyo on October 26 during the last leg of his tour, which had started in Thailand on October 14 and also included visits to Malaysia, Indonesia, India and China.

The visit to Japan coincided with the first meeting between the government-appointed liaison officer, U Aung Kyi, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on October 25.

Mr Gambari’s tour came ahead of his expected return to Myanmar, which the government has agreed would take place during the first week of November instead of later in the month as originally planned.

In Tokyo Mr Gambari met separately with Japanese Prime Minister Mr Yasuo Fukuda and Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura, as well as with senior officials from Japan’s foreign ministry.

“They ... discussed Japan’s readiness to contribute to international efforts to assist Myanmar in meeting the humanitarian and socioeconomic needs of its people as the country takes concrete steps to accelerate its transition to democracy,” the statement said.

Earlier Mr Gambari had held talks in Beijing with Mr Tang Jiaxuan, a senior member of China’s cabinet-level State Council, as well as with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Mr Wang Yi and Assistant Foreign Minister Mr He Yafei.

Mr Tang reiterated China’s support for Mr Gambari’s effort to promote national reconciliation in Myanmar, said a report in China’s state-owned People’s Daily newspaper.

“Tang said China, as a neighbor of Myanmar, paid attention to the development of the situation in Myanmar and hoped to see a stable, developing, democratic and reconciled Myanmar,” the report said.

It said China called on the international community to provide constructive assistance to Myanmar instead of using sanctions and pressure to promote political change in the country.

Mr Gambari had arrived in Beijing on October 24 following a three-day visit to New Delhi, where he met Indian Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign Secretary Mr Shivshankar Menon.

A statement issued by the Indian foreign ministry after the meeting between Mr Singh and Mr Gambari on October 23 said the Indian prime minister had backed moves by the UN to promote dialogue in Myanmar on national reconciliation.

It said Mr Singh had also discussed Myanmar in a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-moon on October 20.

“He (Mr Singh) reiterated India’s conviction that the process of national reconciliation and political reform initiated by the Government of Myanmar should be taken forward expeditiously in an inclusive manner, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” the statement said.

It said that as a friendly neighbour of Myanmar, India would support every effort by the international community to promote peaceful democratic change in Myanmar.

The Press Trust of India news agency reported that Mr Menon had told Mr Gambari that “India had to keep in mind its interests in Myanmar while seeking reconciliation and democracy in the military-ruled country”.

Mr Menon also expressed India’s opposition to sanctions, saying they served no purpose.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of China, India and Russia reiterated their support for efforts by the UN to promote national reconciliation in Myanmar, at their meeting in the northern Chinese city of Harbin on October 24.

“We believe that the initiative taken by the UN Secretary General (Mr Ban Ki-moon) to open dialogue among the various stakeholders in Myanmar should be encouraged,” the Indian minister, Mr Mukherjee, told a joint news conference after the meeting, India’s Hindu newspaper reported.

“There should not be any sanctions at this stage,” said Mr Mukherjee, who also reportedly suggested during the meeting that the process of political reform and national reconciliation in Myanmar should be expedited.

Opposition to any sanctions was also expressed at the meeting by Chinese Foreign Minister Mr Yang Jiechi and his Russian counterpart, Mr Sergei Lavrov.
Mr Lavrov was quoted as saying by a New York-based online newspaper, All Headline News, that sanctions on Myanmar could aggravate the situation and generate a new crisis.

All Headline News quoted Mr Yang as saying he hoped concerned countries would “play a helpful role instead of applying sanctions and applying pressure”.

In a related development, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, has also expressed support for Mr Gambari’s role as well as its opposition to the use of sanctions to promote democratic change in Myanmar.

“If we in ASEAN boycott Myanmar, we would lose our moral influence, which is not insignificant. Such an approach would only worsen the long-term position for us,” Singapore’s foreign minister, Mr George Yeo, told the city-state’s parliament on October 22.

“In any case, the preference of all the ASEAN countries is to continue engaging Myanmar and keeping it in the family. This is certainly Singapore’s preference,” said Mr Yeo, whose country currently chairs the regional grouping.

Mr Yeo said imposing sanctions could make the national reconciliation process more difficult.

“Talking about sanctions or expulsion (of Myanmar from ASEAN) now would make national reconciliation harder, not easier, to achieve, “ he said.
“Our priority must be to support UN special envoy Mr Ibrahim Gambari in his mediation efforts,” Mr Yeo said.

In a breakthrough move on dialogue on October 2, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe made a conditional offer for talks with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The offer, which came during a meeting in Nay Pyi Taw between Senior General Than Shwe and Mr Gambari, was followed by the appointment of U Aung Kyi as Minister of Relations to liaise with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

– Agencies