UN envoy still hopes for Than Shwe-Suu Kyi talks

The door to talks between Myanmar’s ruling generals and detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared to be ajar on Saturday as Western powers piled pressure on the junta to begin a dialogue with the opposition.

Nyan Win, a spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) who initially rejected the junta’s offer of talks as unrealistic, said it could clear the way for discussions about discussions.

Senior General Than Shwe, who outraged the world by sending in soldiers to crush peaceful monk-led demonstrations last week, offered direct talks if Suu Kyi abandons “confrontation” and her support for sanctions and “utter devastation”.

UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, speaking to reporters, said he saw a “window of opportunity” for talks between the junta and Suu Kyi, who met Gambari twice.