Be patient over democratic reforms in Myanmar: Malaysian PM ( AFP ) November 7, 2002


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Be patient over democratic reforms in Myanmar: Malaysian PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (AFP)

Progress is being made towards democratic reforms in Myanmar but they will take time and the world needs to be patient, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday.

"The Myanmar government is taking steps to release prisoners etcera, so to me that is progress," he told a news conference.Mahathir also pointed to meetings between democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the military government as a good sign, although "it's not being publicised."

Asked if the ruling generals were genuine in their promises to introduce democratic reform, Mahathir said: "I think eventually they will. It takes a little bit of time, we have to be patient."

The United Nations special envoy to Myanmar is a Malaysian, Razali Ismail, and he is to visit the country again next week on his ninth mission to promote reforms.Razali described his last visit to Myanmar in August, where he again met with the ruling generals and opposition leaders including Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, as "productive".

Razali, who was appointed two years ago as the personal representative of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, is credited with brokering landmark secret talks between the junta and Aung San Suu Kyi which began in October 2000.They have so far led to Aung San Suu Kyi's release in May after 19 months of house arrest, but are yet to progress beyond an initial confidence-building stage and in recent months are seen as having completely stalled. However, since her release the charismatic leader has been permitted to make a number of political visits outside the capital, drawing huge crowds of supporters.Razali's last trip to Myanmar was aimed at establishing when the two sides will begin a fully fledged political dialogue and the new visit is likely to be focused on the same issue.

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