UN envoy meets Myanmar officials

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http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=4677...ionid=351020406

UN envoy meets Myanmar officials
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:35:46
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has met with a group of ministers to push Myanmar's junta into making concessions on an upcoming vote.

During Gambaro's previous trips, the junta has openly rebuffed his diplomatic overtures, while he has been denied access to key decision-makers such as junta leader Than Shwe, casting real doubt on how much his mission can achieve.

Gambari met Myanmar's minister of health, minister of planning, deputy foreign minister and civil service chairman at a military guesthouse on Sunday morning, a United Nations statement said.

It gave no details on what was discussed.

The Nigerian diplomat was granted a rare meeting Saturday with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

However, that was quickly overshadowed when the junta rejected his offer to send foreign observers to monitor a planned constitutional referendum in May designed to pave the way for multi-party elections in 2010.

Gambari began trying to open up a dialogue between the opposition and the junta following a violent crackdown in September on anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks, which left at least 31 dead, according to UN figures.