Mizzima News

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burmese military junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe on Friday turned down a request by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations  for a meeting with detained Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Than Shwe rejected Ban’s initial request to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, during a two hour meeting between them in the State Guest House in Nayphidaw, the new jungle capital of Burma on Friday. However, Ban still hopes to be given a chance to meet her before he leaves  Burma on Saturday, the report said.

"I told him that I wanted to meet her, but he told me that she is [on] trial. But I told him that this is my proposal, and this is important, and I'm waiting for their reply," AP quoted Ban as saying.

Meanwhile, Win Tin, a member of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National League for Democracy (NLD) on Friday said, Ban’s effort to address Burma’s political problem will be ineffective if he is not allowed to meet  Aung San Suu Kyi during his two-day visit which began on Friday.

“He (Ban) came here urgently because of Aung San Suu Kyi. If the Burmese regime rejected his request to meet her, to say openly, his visit will be meaningless,” Win Tin told Mizzima News.

He continued, “Moreover, the UN’s dignity will be affected.”

Ban arrived in Rangoon on Friday and then, flew to Nayphidaw to meet Senior General Than Shwe.

Win Tin said that he expected four of NLD’s CEC members might have held talks with Ban on Friday. NLD members left for Nyiphidaw on Thursday.

Earlier, Ban had said though it will be a ‘difficult mission’, he would try to secure the release of political prisoners in Burma including Aung San Suu Kyi, resuming the process of national reconciliation and set the stage for credible elections slated for 2010.

Aung San Suu Kyi during a meeting with her lawyers on Thursday in Insein prison said, she supports Ban’s agenda on the three main issues in resolving the political deadlock in Burma.

Aung San Suu Kyi is being charged for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest and for allegedly sheltering the American Yettaw, who swam to her lakeside home and stayed for two nights.

If convicted, she is likely to face up to five years in detention.

The court on Friday adjourned the trail to hear the second defence witness of Aung San Suu Kyi, Khin Moe Moe to July 10.