Burmese talks welcomed, but with skepticism

The British government has said it's encouraged by the announcement that the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been holding talks with the military government.

But a Foreign Office Minister, John Battle, said Britain had no intention of relaxing pressure on the Burmese authorities to respect democracy and human rights, until there was evidence of real progress.

Governments around the world cautiously welcomed the news of the talks on Wednesday.

Analysts warned the process towards reconciliation would proceed slowly. The meetings were the first since 1994, when similar discussions -- also between Aung San Suu Kyi and Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt -- made no progress.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service