The United Nations has announced it will this week hold its first high-level talks with the Burmese government in more than two years.
A statement released Tuesday said Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari will begin a three day visit to Burma on Thursday to assess the nation's progress on democratic reforms.
He is expected to meet with representatives of the opposition National League for Democracy, but it is not know if he will meet with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest.
Meanwhile, a group of UN human rights experts, including the UN human rights expert for Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, says Burma is ignoring its responsibility to protect civilians from armed conflict, by allowing military attacks on the ethnic Karen people.
The experts say more than 10,000 Karen are now living in an alarming state of destitution.
The experts called on the Burmese government to make the army stop its attacks on the Karen.
Information for this report is provided by AFP and Reuters.
