Arrests of dissidents ‘extremely disturbing’, says Gambari

Rights groups have said that four of the country’s most prominent political activists were arrested over the weekend.

Gambari said the reports were “extremely disturbing and these actions must stop at once.”

Ahead of Gambari’s arrival in Bangkok, Myanmar’s military rulers partially eased restrictions imposed after massive protests last month, restoring Internet access over the weekend but keeping foreign news sites blocked.

The junta cut Internet access September 28, two days after troops opened fire on peaceful protesters and images of the crackdown were plastered on Web sites.

In Thailand, Gambari met with Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram and was to meet later in the day with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

Gambari travels next to Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, India and China before returning to Myanmar. India and China are two of the Myanmar junta’s biggest allies.

“The UN is committed to do everything it can to promote a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” he said. Gambari said he had an invitation confirmed by high-level authorities to visit Myanmar in mid-November but hoped to go back “sooner rather than later.”

Gambari called for the release of all political detainees including those who were arrested during the recent protests, and asked for access by the International Red Cross to those in detention. The work of the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross has been severely restricted by the Myanmar regime in recent years.

When asked if Myanmar’s Southeast Asian neighbours and the international community have done enough to resolve the crisis, he said: “I believe so but we can all do better. We could do more. Not just Thailand … India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the United Nations, we could do more.”

Earlier this month Gambari met with Myanmar junta leader General Than Shwe during a four-day visit, urging the government to end its crackdown on protesters. He also met twice with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

His negotiating efforts, however, have failed so far to bring about a dialogue between the government and the democratic opposition.

Although some Internet access was restored in Myanmar, foreign news Web sites, such as the BBC and CNN, remained blocked. The Web sites had provided many in tightly controlled Myanmar with their only access to information about the protests that started August 19 over steep hikes in fuel and consumer prices and snowballed into a unified call for a return to democracy.

Authorities also relaxed a nighttime curfew, shortening it by four hours starting on Saturday night.

The concessions, however, came amid reports that the government continued detaining dissidents.

On Saturday, security forces arrested at least four prominent political activists, Amnesty International said.