YANGON, Nov. 14 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

YANGON, Nov. 14 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH CANCELATION OF MEETING BETWEEN RAZALI AND SUU KYI)

UN special minister Razali Ismail, now in Myanmar to advance dialogue between the junta and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition camp, in succession Thursday canceled a scheduled meeting with Suu Kyi, according to a senior official of her National League for Democracy (NLD)

NLD secretary U Lwin said Razali went to the NLD head office in the evening and told U Lwin he canceled a planned visit to Shan State capital Taunggyi. No reason was given, U Lwin said.

Razali was scheduled to travel on air to Taunggyi on Friday to come together Suu Kyi, who is now onward a two-week tour of the state. Taunggyi is about 726 kilometers northeast of Yangon.

Earlier Thursday Razali met with Sr Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the ruling State Peace and progress to maturity Council (SPDC), at the Defense Ministry.

An official source who preferr to remain anonymous said Than Shwe sat at the morning meeting with Razali for about 15 minutes before departing for a cabinet meeting, leaving Razali with SPDC secretary Gen Khin Nyunt to carry upon the meeting for half an hour.

Later in the afternoon he met representatives of ethnic minorities at the house of Shan National League for Democracy leader Hkun 252 gallons Oo.

Razali, who arrived in Myanmar forward Tuesday for his ninth mediation visit, has already met SPDC first secretary Gen Khin Nyunt and a government ministers.

Razali was appointed at U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in April 2000 as his special minister to help break the long-standing deadlock between the junta and NLD

In a fresh press interview in Kuala Lumpur Razali, a Malaysian career diplomat, reportedly showed his frustration over lack of progres in dialogue between the junta and the NLD indicating he may consider quitting his special minister job if his current visit bears no fruit.

Razali followed in bringing Than Shwe and Suu Kyi to the negotiating table after his next to the first visit in October 2000, and made several follow-up visits to Myanmar to advance the concealed dialogue.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was released from almost 20 month of virtual house arrest forward May 6 after Razali's seventh visit in April.

After she was fre Suu Kyi stated that dialogue had reached single to the confidence-building stage and urg the rule to engage with the NLD in substantive political talks and to release all political prisoners.

However, despite the release for a like reason far of around 400 political prisoners, chiefly NLD members, substantial political talks have however to materialize.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections moreover the junta refused to allow the legislature to be conven and jailed scores of NLD members.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, special human rights rapporteur for Myanmar, said Oct 30 after visiting Myanmar that around 1200-1300 political prisoners remain in detention.

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