United Nations
19 May 2008
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon goes to Burma Thursday, where he plans to visit some of the hardest hit areas of the cyclone-devastated country and meet with the reclusive regime's top leaders. The U.N. chief will also attend a joint U.N.-ASEAN donors conference for the cyclone victims. From U.N. headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer reports the secretary-general's mission is purely humanitarian.
Mr. Ban will remain in Burma until Friday, when he will travel to neighboring Thailand for bi-lateral meetings ahead of Sunday's joint U.N.-ASEAN International Pledging Conference.
His brief trip to Bangkok means he will not be in Burma on Saturday, when the constitutional referendum is scheduled to take place in areas affected by the cyclone. The regime went ahead with plans to hold the referendum on May 10th in areas not affected by the storm.
His spokesperson said his trip is a purely humanitarian one, and Mr. Ban would not press the military government for more democracy or seek meetings with the country's opposition leaders.
"He is going to go and visit with the victims of the cyclone, it is going to be strictly a humanitarian visit," she said.
On Sunday, Mr. Ban will return to Rangon for the day, where the international donors conference will take place.
Mr. Ban's top humanitarian official, John Holmes, arrived in Burma on Sunday, and Monday visited three badly hit areas, including Labutta in the Irrawaddy Delta. He is scheduled to meet with Burmese government officials on Tuesday.