UN to Send Envoy To Burma

[RANGOONP@xxxxxxx]

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on
Wednesday that the world body will send an envoy to Burma next month to
monitor the democratic process and
to the Malaysian capital that he had met Burmese Senior General Than Shwe,
chairman of the State Peace and Development Council and prime minister, in
Kuala Lumpur. 

Than Shwe was in the Malaysian capital to attend a three-day summit of the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which ended on Tuesday. 

``Next month I'll send a special envoy to Myanmar,'' Annan said. Annan said
Than Shwe told him that Burma was ``moving towards democratisation'' and the
government had tried to initiate discussions with democratic activist Aung San
Suu Kyi. 

Asked what the U.N. hoped to accomplish by sending an envoy to Burma, Annan
said: ``It's a little unusual for the United Nations. We are not going in with
a timetable like we did with Cambodia. What we like to see is free and fair
elections and freedom of speech.'' 

REUTERS@ 

21:08 12-16-97
to the Malaysian capital that he had met Burmese Senior General Than Shwe,
chairman of the State Peace and Development Council and prime minister, in
Kuala Lumpur. 

Than Shwe was in the Malaysian capital to attend a three-day summit of the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which ended on Tuesday. 

``Next month I'll send a special envoy to Myanmar,'' Annan said. Annan said
Than Shwe told him that Burma was ``moving towards democratisation'' and the
government had tried to initiate discussions with democratic activist Aung San
Suu Kyi. 

Asked what the U.N. hoped to accomplish by sending an envoy to Burma, Annan
said: ``It's a little unusual for the United Nations. We are not going in with
a timetable like we did with Cambodia. What we like to see is free and fair
elections and freedom of speech.'' ^REUTERS@ 

21:10 12-16-97