Gambari Must Meet with Burma’s Ethnic Leaders

The Burma Campaign UK today accused Ibrahim Gambari, the UN envoy to Burma, of ignoring his mandate on Burma by failing to meet with leaders of Burma’s ethnic groups. His mandate is based on successive General Assembly resolutions on Burma, which call for tri-partite dialogue between the regime, the National League for Democracy, and Burma’s ethnic groups.

On one of his visits to Burma, Gambari did meet with representatives of some of the ethnic ceasefire groups that were attending the regime’s national convention. The convention was supposedly set up to draft the principles of the regime’s sham constitution, which will be voted on in May. The representatives he met were hand-picked by the regime and told what they could and could not say to Gambari. Ibrahim Gambari has failed to meet with leaders of political or armed ethnic groups that have not signed ceasefire agreements with the regime.

“Burma must be the only place in the world where the United Nations does not talk to all the people involved in order to try to negotiate a solution,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of the Burma Campaign UK.  “How are we going to get the junta to hold genuine talks with ethnic groups when even the UN doesn’t?”

Karen National Union General Secretary Padoh Mahn Sha, who was assassinated by regime agents on February 14th 2008, was recognised as one of the most important leaders of Burma’s democracy movement. Yet despite around a dozen visits to the region, Gambari never took the time to meet him, and has still not yet met the top leadership of other significant non-ceasefire groups such as the Restoration Council of Shan State and Karenni National Progressive Party.

The participation of all Burma’s ethnic groups, those on ceasefire and those still engaged in armed struggle, is essential to bring national reconciliation, peace, democracy, human rights and development to Burma. Ibrahim Gambari’s softly softly approach with the regime, where he appears to be afraid to meet ethnic leaders for fear of offending the regime, not only ignores the importance of their participation, but also the horrific human rights abuses being committed against Burma’s ethnic people.

In her recent statement, Aung San Suu Kyi stated the importance of ethnic groups being involved in the reconciliation process.

“Gambari and the UN need to start talking to all the key players in Burma,” said Mark Farmaner. “They won’t have a proper understanding of the situation in the country until they do, and perhaps if they were more aware of the scale of human rights abuses in ethnic areas, they would be more active in trying to find a solution.”

For more information call the Burma Campaign UK on 02073244710.

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