UN Envoy in Burma Barred From Seeing Aung San Suu Kyi - 2003-06-08

The United Nations special envoy to Burma has met with top military leaders in Rangoon, but has not yet been allowed to see the country's detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

UN envoy Razali Ismail met for more than an hour today (Saturday) with Burma's number-three general, Khin Nynt. Mr. Razali said afterwards that he had not been granted access to the Nobel Peace laureate, but still hoped to secure a meeting with her.

Mr. Razali met with Foreign Minister Win Aung after his arrival in Rangoon on Friday, with similar results.

General Khin Nynt was silent after today's talks. In a speech Friday at an airport opening in the central town of Magway, he blamed Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy for last week's events.

Aung San Suu Kyi was taken into custody one week ago following a clash in a northern provincial town between her followers and government-backed protesters. She has not been seen since.

U.S. State department spokesman Richard Boucher has described the May 30th clashes as a "premeditated ambush" on Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade. An unspecified number of people were reported dead or wounded after the clash.

Meanwhile, the International Labor Organization has condemned the pro-democracy leader's detention saying it casts doubts on the Burmese government's professed willingness to eliminate labor abuses.