MALAYSIA: UNITED NATIONS' SPECIAL ENVOY TO MYANMAR ISMAIL RETURNS TO MALAYSIA AFTER VISITING YANGON AND MEETING AUNG SAN SUU KYI

Record ID: 337948

  • Title: MALAYSIA: UNITED NATIONS' SPECIAL ENVOY TO MYANMAR ISMAIL RETURNS TO MALAYSIA AFTER VISITING YANGON AND MEETING AUNG SAN SUU KYI
  • Date: 6th August 2002
  • Summary: (U1) KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (AUGUST 6, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ARRIVAL HALL 0.04 2. CU SIGN FOR 'INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS' 0.08 3. SV UNITED NATIONS' SPECIAL ENVOY RAZALI ISMAIL AT ARRIVAL HALL 0.16 4. SV RAZALI SPEAKING TO REPORTER 0.21 5. MCU (English) UNITED NATIONS' SPECIAL ENVOY RAZALI ISMAIL SAYING: "There will be efforts on both sides to have the discussions very very soon." 0.29 6. MCU RAZALI WITH REPORTER 0.40 7. SV AIRPORT SECURITY 0.43 8. MCU (English) UNITED NATIONS' SPECIAL ENVOY RAZALI ISMAIL SAYING: "No, no, no. I should be back after they have had some talks already. I am only the external facilitator. This whole process as what I said here is a homegrown process. And its not the dialogue that we in the international community understands it. It's not more than that." 1.01 9. SV PASSENGERS IN ARRIVAL HALL 1.06 10. SV RAZALI AND ASSISTANT LEAVING AIRPORT 1.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 21st August 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Reuters ID: LVA59CAYZQOK9AFPV4K3BE96XDUC
  • Story Text: United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail
    has said recently released opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
    is ready to hold talks with the military junta to discuss how
    to move the country towards democracy.



    United Nations' special envoy Razali Ismail returned to
    Malaysia on Tuesday (August 6) after visiting Yangon, where he
    met Aung San Suu Kyi, senior members of the military junta and
    leaders of major ethnic minority groups.

    The Malaysian diplomat was in Myanmar for five days.

    "There will be efforts on both sides to have the
    discussions very very soon," Razali told Reuters on his return
    home to Kuala Lumpur, following his eighth visit to Yangon
    since his appointment two years ago.

    He said the discussions would take place certainly before
    his next visit to Myanmar, due within a "couple of months".

    "No, no, no. I should be back after they have had some
    talks already. I am only the external facilitator. This whole
    process as what I said here is a homegrown process. And its
    not the dialogue that we in the international community
    understands it. Its not more than that," Razali said.

    Suu Kyi for years refused to co-operate with the military
    government but her stance has gradually shifted since October
    2000, when she began confidential talks with the junta.

    But those talks, brokered by Razali, were more along the
    lines of confidence building, and Suu Kyi has been demanding
    substantive talks on political change ever since she was
    released in May after 19 months under house arrest.

    Myanmar has been ruled by the military under various
    guises since the 1960s. Suu Kyi's National League for
    Democracy (NLD) won the country's last elections in 1990 by a
    landslide but was never allowed to take power.

    The military says it is committed to eventually creating
    democracy but that moving too fast could cause anarchy in the
    multi-ethnic country.

    Razali also gave Reuters a written statement on his
    return from Yangon.

    "Mr Razali was informed by Aung San Suu Kyi that as a
    consequence of her recent travels, she was willing to
    co-operate with the government in ways that directly benefit
    all the peoples of Myanmar and are conducive to the evolution
    of a democratic state," it said.

    After being released from house arrest in May, Suu Kyi has
    made two major political trips outside Yangon, unhindered by
    the authorities. During the trips she accepted invitations to
    visit government projects in the provinces.

    Razali's trip coincided with a three-day visit by Japanese
    Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, who left on Monday after
    also holding talks with senior generals and Suu Kyi. She was
    the most senior Japanese official to visit the country since
    1983.

    Japanese officials said Suu Kyi had told Kawaguchi she was
    not opposed to Japanese humanitarian aid to Myanmar as long as
    it reached the people who really needed it.


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