UN mediates in Burmese deadlock

A senior United Nations official, Alvaro De Soto, arrives in Rangoon later on Tuesday for talks with Burma's ruling military government and opposition leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

The BBC South-East-Asia correspondent says Mr De Soto is expected to urge both sides to begin talks to break Burma's political stalemate.

Last month, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, met the Burmese leader, General Than Shwe, to press for free elections and improvements in human rights.

But our correspondent says Mr De Soto will find it hard making any progress on those issues.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service