Ban getting frustrated with Burma progress
Posted on December 6, 2008
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Ban Ki-moon
Amid growing calls for him to visit Burma (See: Should he stay or should he go?), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his frustration with the lack of progress in the UN’s efforts to promote national reconciliation and democratization in Burma.
Speaking to the press after a meeting of the Group of Friends on Myanmar in New York, Ban said, “Since our last meeting, I sense not only a higher expectation but also a growing frustration that our efforts have yet to yield the results we all hope for. I share this sense of expectation and frustration.”
Burmese officials have in the past said cooperation with the UN was the cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy. Ban welcomed their commitment and called on the junta to take concrete action to implement their commitment. “My good offices should not be seen as an end in itself, or as a justification for inaction,” he said.
“In order to be able to pursue this role in an effective manner, it is necessary that all concerned parties across the spectrum step up efforts to help my good offices move forward.”
He called on the junta, to respond positively without further delay to suggestions endorsed by the Group of Friends, in particular the release of all political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the initiation of a genuine dialogue with the opposition.
Ban stressed he was committed to continuing his good offices role. But, he said it was not appropriate for him to visit Burma now. “At this time I do not think that the atmosphere is ripe for me to undertake my own visit there. But I am committed, and I am ready to visit any time, whenever I can have reasonable expectations of my visit, to be productive and meaningful,” he said.
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