Myanmar 'regrets' UN rebuke over crackdown
YANGON (AFP) — Myanmar's military junta said Friday that it "regrets" a UN Security Council statement rebuking its violent crackdown on peaceful protests, but Europe prepared to strengthen sanctions on the regime.
In its first reaction to the UN statement, whose signatories included close ally China, the government vowed to cooperate with the world body and also pledged to press ahead with its own "road map" to democratic reform.
But it made no acknowledgement of the UN call for the release of political prisoners nor for the regime to engage in dialogue with detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Myanmar regrets that the statement by the chairman of the UN Security Council was announced on October 11, although the situation in the Union of Myanmar did not harm regional or international peace and security," state television reported.
"Maintaining good relations with countries in the region and around the world, as well as offering all cooperation with the United Nations, is the foreign policy of the Union of Myanmar," it added.
The Security Council, in its first joint formal action since last month's pro-democracy rallies were crushed, said it "strongly deplores" the repression and called for the release of political prisoners, amid growing concern over the fate of nearly 1,000 demonstrators still being held.
It called on the junta to "create the necessary conditions, for a genuine dialogue" with Aung San Suu Kyi to achieve national reconciliation.
The European Union, meanwhile, looks set to beef up its sanctions against Myanmar next week by introducing an embargo on timber, gems and metals, according to a draft text agreed Friday.
"In view of the seriousness of the current situation and in solidarity with the people of Burma/Myanmar, the EU deems it necessary to increase direct pressure on the regime through stronger measures," according to the draft agreement, seen by AFP.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won elections in 1990 but has never been allowed to govern, and she has been held in detention for 12 of the past 18 years.
In their response to the UN, Myanmar's ruling generals said they would "unwaveringly" implement a seven-step road map which it promises will end with elections, but which has been derided by Western nations as a sham.
The NLD thanked the Security Council and urged the regime to pay heed.
As Myanmar is a UN member, it added, "authorities have a responsibility to implement the announcement of the chairman of the UN Security Council as soon as possible for national reconciliation."
The rallies, which began in mid-August after a crippling hike in the price of fuel, escalated into the biggest challenge to the regime since student-led protests were brutally crushed in 1988.
Led by Buddhist monks, the protests drew as many as 100,000 people onto the streets of the main city Yangon, but the subsequent crackdown left at least 13 dead and saw more than 2,000 arrested.
Myanmar's state-run media says more than half of those arrested have been freed, but there has been little word of at least 950 still in custody.
Earlier in the week the regime named a moderate general to hold talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, but there has been no indication of when they might meet.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is to send his special envoy Ibrahim Gambari back to the region this weekend to prepare for a return visit to Yangon.
Gambari, a seasoned troubleshooter, met junta leaders and Aung San Suu Kyi in a first post-crackdown mission that ended 10 days ago.
He will first go to Thailand and then head to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan, before hoping to return to Myanmar.
However, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Gambari should skip other capitals and head straight back to Yangon "given the continuing abuses of the junta on Burma," referring to the country's former name.
In a separate development, Myanmar's Prime Minister Soe Win -- a hardliner best known for allegedly orchestrating an attack on Aung San Suu Kyi -- died Friday after a long illness, state media said.
His death was not expected to have a major impact on the government as all real power lies with Senior General Than Shwe and the junta.
