Suu Kyi wants full time UN envoy for Myanmar

United Nations: Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi wants a full time UN representative to Myanmar, the UN Security Council was told.

A senior Indian diplomat told PTI that Vijai Nambiar, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy to Myanmar, told the Security Council in a closed door session that Suu Kyi wanted a UN official to be assigned to the country full time.

Nambiar's "assessment" of post-election Myanmar was "rather positive," according to the Indian diplomat. Nambiar said, according to the diplomat, good intentions needed to be matched by actions.

Myanmar's refusal to allow Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, who acts as an independent human rights expert, to meet Suu Kyi was also discussed at the informal meeting.

Quintana suggested, last year, setting up a Commission of Inquiry into alleged human rights violations in the country since "justice and accountability" were a key "to any transition" into a democracy and "national reconciliation". The Indian official suggested that "engaging" Myanmar would produce more results.

Following elections in November, Myanmar transitioned from being governed by a military junta to a civilian government backed heavily by the army. It was the first elections in nearly two decades but it was marred by many irregularities.

Suu Kyi, 65, was released after the elections after spending almost twenty years under house arrest. For several years, the international community has

called on Myanmar's leaders to release the more than 2000 political prisoners in jail.

Following Nambiar's visit, thousands of prisoners have been released. But activists have said that the majority of prisoners released were common criminals and there were only a few political prisoners among them.

Human Rights Watch, this week, called President Thein Sein's amnesty as a "slap in the face to a senior United Nations' envoy".

"The government's gesture will be welcomed by a great many prisoners in Burma, but for the 2,100 political prisoners unjustly serving sentences of up to 65 years, the one-year reduction is a sick joke," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"This is a pathetic response to international calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners," she added.

HRW pointed out that Zargana, the country's most famous comedian, is serving a 35-year sentence for criticizing the military government's slow response to Cyclone Nargis.