At
UN,
With Ban &
Nambiar "All
In" for
Myanmar &
Spinning on SC
Seats
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 25 --
Myanmar's
still largely
military
government was
garnering
praise from UN
Secretary
General and
his envoy
Vijay
Nambiar well
before the
current
changes. But
now Ban and
Nambiar are
"all in," and
headed this
week to the
country, by
way of
India.
Monday
at the UN
just after Ban
formally
announced the
trip, Inner
City Press
asked
him:
"Aung
San
Suu Kyi says
that there is
a standoff
between
National
League for
Democracy
(NLD) members
and the
military-created
constitution.
What
is your view
of that? Also,
of the Kachin
area where
people were
not
allowed to
vote in this
most recent
election - are
you going to
look
at that while
you are
there?"
Ban
replied that
"I have taken
note of what
President
Thein Sein
said about
this
matter;" his
full answer is
below. But on
Tuesday the UN
invited
some media --
not the Press
-- to hear and
report more
from Nambiar,
for example on
whether the
NLD should be
required to
swear to
"safeguard"
the Army
created
constitution:
"I
think
there is
wisdom on both
sides to get
through this,"
Nambiar said.
"I can't see
them going
through
elections and
not
solving this."
It
is understand
that Nambiar
has neither
received nor
even sought
any assurances
from
the Burmese
government on
this, however.
Some of the
resulting
stories said
Nambiar "is"
Ban's chief of
staff, which
is
not the case;
he has been
replaced by
the Argentine
Susana
Malcorra.
Meanwhile,
for
Ban's first
stop in India,
Ban himself
spoke with
Indian media,
saying for
example "I
hope such
progress will
be accelerated
to meet the
expectations
of many member
states
including
India." Beyond
this, Ban was
portrayed
apparently
without
subsequently
complaint or
correction as
favoring a
Permanent seat
on the
Security
Council for
India, an
issue of which
he is not in
charge.
In fact, when
asked why
he accepts an
alleged war
criminal, Sri
Lankan General
Shavendra
Silva, as one
of his senior
advisers on
peacekeeping,
Ban told Inner
City Press it
is up to
member states.
Isn't that
true of
Security
Council
reform?
We
will be
covering this
trip, despite
this from
Ban's
Secretariat
"Thank
you for your
interest in
participating
in the
Secretary-General's
forthcoming
visit to
Myanmar. The
response was
overwhelming.
Unfortunately
we are unable
to offer your
organization a
place at
this time.
Thank you
again for your
interest, and
we hope you
will
have another
opportunity to
travel with
the
Secretary-General.
As no
official
announcement
has been made
about this
visit, we ask
that you
do not report
on it until an
official
announcement
has been
made."
Done
and
done. Here's
from Ban's
April 23 Press
encounter:
Inner
City
Press: At
least one
question on
Myanmar? Aung
San Suu Kyi
says
that there is
a standoff
between
National
League for
Democracy
(NLD)
members and
the
military-created
constitution.
What is your
view of
that? Also, of
the Kachin
area where
people were
not allowed to
vote
in this most
recent
election - are
you going to
look at that
while
you are there?
S-G
Ban
Ki-moon: First
of all, about
the first part
of your
question. I
sincerely hope
that they will
be able to
find a
mutually
agreeable,
harmonious way
to have smooth
proceedings of
this
Parliament.
They
have gone
through very
historic
by-elections
recently that
was
reflected by
the will of
the Myanmar
people. I have
taken note of
what President
Thein Sein
said about
this matter
and I hope
that they
will be able
to find a
resolution on
this issue
harmoniously
for the
further
democratization
of their
country.
On
the
second part of
your question,
I am
encouraged by
all of the
recent
movement in
trying to
reconcile with
the ethnic
groups,
particularly
with the Karen
National
Union. I hope
that the same
will
be emulated by
the Kachin
group. All in
all, it is
important that
Myanmar
authorities
reach out and
reconcile with
all the groups
for
their smooth
transition
towards a
further and
fuller
democratization
process. I
will have many
opportunities
of discussing
this matter,
starting with
President
Thein Sein, to
Aung San Suu
Kyi, to
speakers
of Parliament.
I will have
another
opportunity of
engaging the
ministers and
economic and
social-related
leaders there.
Thank you
very much.
Thank you.
We'll
see. Watch
this site.
, 
