KALADAN NEWS

Dated-Saturday May 24, 2003

DAW SUU KYI, GENERALS TO TALK SOON

Chittagong, May 24: Burma’s military government and

opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will hold

long-awaited talks within the next few weeks, Foreign

Minister Surakiart Sathirathai of Thailand said,

according to the Nation/ANN, Bangkok.

“ I have been informed that within the next few weeks

there will be political dialogue between the

leadership of the State Peace and Development Council

(SPDC) and Daw Aung SanSuu Kyi,” Surakiart told an

audience at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok

on 20th May night.

It is coincided that Mr. Rezali Ismail, a veteran

Malaysia diplomat who was appointed UN special envoy

in 2000, confirmed on 20th May he would visit Burma

again June 6-10 and said he expects to hold talks

separately with Daw Suu and to Gen.Than Shwe,

according to Associated Press.

With the release of opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu

Kyi in May 2000 after 19 months of de- facto house

arrest, hope arose that the military junta might take

steps to improve its human rights record. However,

till now, talks between Daw Suu and the SPDC had

ground to a halt and systematic restriction on basis

civil and political liberties continued unabated.

The regime has freed some political prisoners since

Suu Kyi’s release more than a year ago, but more than

1,200 others are believed to remain behind bars,

according to human rights groups.

“The two sides have been holding reconciliation talks

since late 2000, but no real progress has been made.

This time we also hope that the result will be the

same,” said a veteran politician.

Editor

Kaladan Press Network

E-mail:Kaladanpress@ yahoo.com