Myanmar junta keeps envoy waiting

The secretive regime, which in the past has often frustrated efforts by other UN envoys to visit the country, is facing intense international criticism over its suppression of the protests, which left 13 dead and hundreds arrested.

Gambari was allowed to meet with detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for more than an hour on Sunday in Yangon to discuss anti-government protests.

After last week8217;s brutal crackdown by the military, horror stories are filling Myanmar blogs and dissident sites. But the tight security of the repressive regime makes it impossible to verify just how many people are dead, detained or missing. 8220;There are huge difficulties,8221; said David Mathieson, a consultant with Human Rights Watch. 8220;Many of the witnesses have been arrested and are being held in areas we don8217;t have access to.8221;

Authorities have acknowledged that government troops shot dead nine demonstrators and a Japanese cameraman in Yangon. But witness accounts range from several dozen deaths to as many as 200. 8220;We do believe the death toll is higher than acknowledged by the government,8221; said Shari Villarosa, the top US diplomat in Myanmar.