New Delhi (Mizzima) - United Nations Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari on Tuesday wound up his four-day visit to military-ruled Burma, sources said.
Gambari, whose mission was to push for national reconciliation through dialogue, wound up his trip 'empty handed' after a meeting with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein on Tuesday, the source added.
"I would say he is returning 'empty handed' without accomplishing his mission," the source, who has been monitoring Gambari's visit, told Mizzima.
The Nigerian diplomat's mission was to convince Burma's military rulers to release more than 2,000 political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, to implement an all inclusive political reform and to establish a forum for economic reform.
During his visit, the UN troubleshooter, met several of the junta's ministers including Foreign Minister Nyan Win, and also met pro-junta organizations, such as former student leader Aye Lwin led 88 New Generation Youth and Students Organization (Union of Myanmar) and a few others, that are gearing up to contest in the 2010 elections.
However, the most significant among his various meetings with the Junta's ministers, was his meeting with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party's – the National League for Democracy's Central Executive Committee (CEC).
On Monday, Gambari for the first time met Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, jointly with the NLD CEC at a government guest house in Rangoon.
However, Nyan Win, spokesperson of the NLD told Mizzima that though the NLD leaders have expressed their stand on sticking to their policy, Gambari did not reply.
"It is difficult to analyze the visit or it is still early to conclude that it is a failure, the envoy did not make any promise, but he listened to our leaders," Nyan Win said.
During the meeting, the NLD leaders reiterated their demand for the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, a review of the new constitution and honouring of results of the 1990 election. These would be the minimum terms, which needed to be fulfilled before they could have a dialogue with the Burmese military rulers.
Aung San Suu Kyi, during the meeting, also expressed her concern on Burma's failing legal system saying, "There is no rule of law in Burma. It is clearly demonstrated in sentencing activists to long prison terms without proper trial."
Meanwhile, Gambari on Monday was rumoured to be visiting Burma's new jungle capital Naypyitaw on Tuesday. However, he remained in Rangoon meeting several pro-junta organizations that are gearing up to contest in the ensuing elections in 2010.
The source in Rangoon said, Gambari also failed to come up with any tangible results on the establishment of a forum for economic reform, as the NLD did not give their consent.
Nyan Win said, "With regard to the economic forum, the NLD leaders did not give any comment or opinion, as we have no data on the current economic situation in Burma."
