YANGON, Nov. 12 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

YANGON, Nov. 12 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH RAZALI'S MEETINGS WITH KHIN NYUNT SUU KYI)

UN special minister to Myanmar Razali Ismail held separate meetings Tuesday evening with senior junta member Gen Khin Nyunt and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as part of efforts to advance dialogue between the military rule and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD)

After meeting at the Defense Ministry with Khin Nyunt first secretary of the ruling State Peace and unfolding Council (SPDC), the veteran Malaysian diplomat went straight to Suu Kyi's house.

Razali, appointed by dint of U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan in April 2000 as his special legate to help break the long-standing deadlock between the junta and the NLD arrived in Yangon forward Tuesday morning for his ninth mediation visit.

He had working luncheon with ambassadors of Japan, Britain, India and Thailand, as well as the U charge d'affaires, promptly after arrival.

Razali's passing from hand to hand visit is being regarded by dint of observers as crucial.

In a late press interview in Kuala Lumpur Razali reportedly squeeze outed his disappointment with the lack of progres in dialogue between the junta and the NLD indicating he may consider quitting his special minister job if his current visit brings no positive result

Razali follow in ordered in bringing SPDC Chairman Sr Gen Than Shwe and Suu Kyi to the negotiating table after his inferior visit in October 2000 and made several follow-up visits to Myanmar to advance the hid dialogue.

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

After she was fre Suu Kyi stated that dialogue had reached and nothing else 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 in like manner far of around 400 political prisoners, mainly NLD members, substantial political talks have notwithstanding to materialize.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections on the other hand 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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