US Condemns Myanmar Expulsion of UN Rep
4 hours ago
WA****NGTON (AP) - The United States condemned Myanmar's expulsion Friday
of
the top U.N. diplomat in the country, its human rights representative.
"This outrageous action ... is an insult to the United Nations and the
international community," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the
National
Security Council.
The ruling military junta acted against U.N. resident coordinator Charles
Petrie one day before the arrival of U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari to
promote talks between the government and the pro-democracy opposition.
Gambari also planned to press for the release of people detained in last
month's crackdown on Buddhist monks and other opponents of the junta that
rules Myanmar, also known as Burma.
"The junta needs to allow the ICRC into the country, release political
prisoners and stop detaining its citizens who are peacefully protesting
the
repressive regime," Johndroe said.
The ICRC is the International Committee of the Red Cross, based in
Switzerland.
"Further, re****ts that the junta has restricted Internet access again are
very troubling," Johndroe said. "They are trying to hide their atrocities
from the world."
The military rulers made known their wish that Petrie end his assignment
in
a note handed to foreign diplomats and U.N. representatives, said U. N.
Information Center spokesman Aye Win, speaking by telephone from the
country's largest city, Yangon.
Gambari met last month with junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe. He also
met
twice with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel prize
laureate.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5R6u5LCUOrQZA9iHHkVKNRd-GcAD8SLM2E00
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