SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MYANMAR TO CONFER

WITH LEADING FIGURES IN YANGON, 12 - 16 NOVEMBER

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

Razali Ismail, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Myanmar, will visit Yangon from 12 to 16 November 2002 to help facilitate the national reconciliation process in Myanmar.  It will be his ninth mission as Special Envoy.

Mr. Razali has requested meetings with Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), General Maung Aye, Vice-Chairman of SPDC, General Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the SPDC, and other Government leaders during his stay in Yangon.  He will also meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), as well as representatives of ethnic nationality groups.

As stated in his report to the General Assembly (A/57/484), the Secretary-General is concerned that the positive momentum generated for the ongoing national reconciliation process in Myanmar since the restoration of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom of movement on 6 May could dissipate, unless some tangible progress is made in the near future.

In this context, the Secretary-General attaches importance to Mr. Razali’s upcoming mission, and, in particular, his discussion with Senior General Than Shwe.

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