United Nations, Oct 01: Stressing that the process of national reconciliation in Myanmar has come to a complete halt, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged the international community to bring about a transition to democracy in Myanmar by 2006. In a report to the General Assembly, Annan said the military rulers should release the pro democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her fellow members of the National League for Democracy and resume a "substantive" dialogue with them.
"Unless the parties concerned are able to engage in a substantive dialogue, the international community would have conclude that the home-gown national reconciliation process no longer exists," he said.
No substantive progress has been made towards national reconciliation and democratization of the country but there is still a "small window of opportunity at the present moment to save the process", he said.
The year 2006 is important as Myanmar is due to take over the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Annan told Myanmar foreign minister U Win Aung yesterday that the country must be a democracy before it takes over the chair. Bureau Report