Mixed reviews for Gambari

Posted on August 25, 2008
Filed Under Burma news |

Gambari under fire after visit

Gambari under fire after visit

Ibrahim Gambari, the UN’s special envoy is coming under fire following his less than fruitful visit to Burma last week (see Gambari leaves without seeing Suu Kyi).

The opposition National League for Democracy called his six day trip ‘a waste of time’. Spokesman, Nyan Win, said Gambari had not established any dialogue between the military rulers and the opposition. He also accused him of wasting his time on matters that he was not supposed to deal with.

The NLD is upset that Gambari appears to be pushing them to accept the junta’s roadmap for democracy, which the opposition has dismissed.

However, Gambari did win praise from exiled Shan leader, Harn Yawnghwe, the director of Euro Burma Office. According to the Shan Herald Agency for News, he said, “Mr Gambari is considered an old hand in dealing with military dictators, his country also having been under military rule.”

The Brussels based Harn described the UN as one of the few friends the people of Burma have.

He also praised the work of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana. “Mr Quintana is also a veteran human rights activist,” he said.

“They [Gambari and Quintana] deserve all the support and advice that we can give,” he said.

He also warned that without UN involvement, Burma would cease to get any attention on the international stage.

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