August 21, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 18, 1429

YANGON, Aug 20: UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari met briefly on Wednesday with top leaders from Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, but his planned meeting with her did not take place, a party spokesman said.

Gambari spoke for 20 minutes with five NLD leaders at a military facility in Yangon, party spokesman Nyan Win said.

The envoy told the party that he had not yet met Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been kept under house arrest for most of the last 19 years.

He said that he wanted to press the junta to free the Nobel Peace Prize winner as well as other political prisoners, while relaunching a dialogue between her and the regime, Nyan Win said.

Gambari said he would also ask the junta to allow the appointment of a special UN liaison officer in Yangon, who would coordinate contacts with the generals, according to the spokesman.

The Nigerian diplomat expressed concern over Myanmar’s crumbling economy, and said that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon could visit the country in December to press the case for political reforms, Nyan Win added.

Since he arrived on Monday, Gambari has not met with any of the military’s top leadership, although he has held talks with the ministers of information and foreign affairs.—AFP