Toothless UN Wastes 3 Days in Burma
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There are numerous methods of communication these days. Borrowing the common terms ‘instant’ and ‘messaging’ demonstrate in words what is possible. For business, government and consumer use each form of communication matches up with customary standards or protocols for formal and informal exchanges of dialogue or data transmission.
Does it occur to anyone else that the passing of two or three days since a representative from the United Nations arrived in Burma/Myanmar is more than enough time to produce a ’sit down’ between the rep and General Than Shwe? And if the UN rep is merely waiting for this General to agree to a discussion then it proves again nothing about the United Nations is united or serving a useful purpose. This would be the point in an interview where a spokesperson for the UN would tell the interviewer there are established guidelines for attempts at intervention. God knows the UN spends nearly all of its time and other people’s money issuing statements and generating documents of limited value like guidelines.
As far as a chronology of the UN ’senior envoy’ and his exploits in Burma over the last three days, reports from the VOA are a handy reference.
UN Envoy in Burma to Try to Mediate Burmese Protests
By Luis Ramirez Bangkok
29 September 2007
Ramirez report (mp3) - Download 697k
Listen to Ramirez report (mp3)
United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has arrived in Burma on what the U.N. secretary-general calls an “urgent mission” to broker negotiations between the military government and the pro-democracy opposition. VOA’s Luis Ramirez at our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok reports the visit comes as the army is tightening its control over demonstrations in the main city, Rangoon.
UN Envoy Meets With Aung San Suu Kyi and Military Junta
By Nancy-Amelia Collins Jakarta
30 September 2007
Collins report (mp3) - download 485K
Listen to Collins report (mp3)The United Nation’s special envoy to Burma has met with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and with members of Burma’s ruling military junta to try to stop the its violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. Ibrahim Gambari has extended his mission in Burma - canceling a planned flight to Singapore and vowing to meet with Burma’s top junta leader, Senior General Than Shwe. VOA’s Nancy-Amelia Collins in Jakarta has more.
UN Envoy Remains in Burma, Pledges to Meet With Top Junta Leader
By VOA News
01 October 2007A senior United Nations envoy has extended his mission in Burma in the hopes of meeting the country’s top military leader, Senior General Than Shwe. Officials say Ibrahim Gambari has returned to Burma’s new capital, Naypyidaw, for the second time in three days to try to ease a deadly military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
This is exactly the type of incident that requires quick action to stop senseless killing in a country that has lost its ability to maintain any civil or military order without violence spiraling out of control. How many times must this scenario be repeated before members of the United Nations step up and proclaim a set of international rules to end a crisis like this shortly after it begins? Without any improvements in the process, each time an incident occurs its outcome will be no better than any previous one. There is no need for an organization that can do no better than this.
Stanford Matthews
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