Insurgents operating from Bangladesh, Myanmar
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UN envoy to meet Menon
July 11, 2007: (The Asian Age) New Delhi, July 11: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s special adviser for Burma, Mr Ibrahim Gambari, is in New Delhi for talks on how best the international community could support political transformation in Burma.
He is expected to meet with foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon on Thursday, an official of the ministry of external affairs confirmed. Mr Gambari reached New Delhi from Beijing, where he held talks with Chinese vice-foreign minister Dai Binguo, assistant foreign minister Cui Tiankai and director-general Wu Hailong.
Sources said that he will travel to Japan after finishing his engagements in India. Mr Gambari was likely to visit Burma soon to re-engage the military junta for political reforms.
The sources said that his visit is part of a United Nations initiative to incorporate all relevant parties in a constructive dialogue. India continues to engage Burma despite calls from certain Western capitals to impose newer sanctions against the Burmese military regime. Questioning India’s current policy towards Burma, a member of the Solidarity Committee for Burmese Freedom Fighters has said that the Burmese military junta was the most "ruthless regime anywhere in the world" and siding with it was "obnoxious".
The member said, "New Delhi’s current policy towards Burma is beyond indifference and it amounts to tilting towards military rule ... that is unfortunate."
Another member said that the 30-odd Burmese men languishing in a Kolkata jail were victims of the shift in India’s policy towards the Burmese military junta.