Burma 'may want new global ties'

The visit was the first in over two years by a senior UN official

A senior United Nations official has said there are signs Burma is seeking to improve its relationship with the international community.

Ibrahim Gambari spoke after a trip to the state, where he became the first person since 2004 to meet imprisoned pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The meeting could indicate Burmese leaders were keen to "open up a new chapter", Mr Gambari said.

Ms Suu Kyi's current term of house arrest expires on Saturday.

The leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, she has been under house arrest for 10 of the last 16 years.

The group won a landslide election victory in 1990 but the military refused to hand over power.

When asked by journalists whether he thought she would be released, Mr Gambari referred to a Burmese police statement that "her release would not necessarily lead to political instability".

New approach

Mr Gambari, who is the UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, met Ms Suu Kyi for an hour on Saturday and said she appeared well.

Suu Kyi has been under this period of house arrest since May 2003

He also met military leader Gen Than Shwe during his three-day visit.

He said he delivered a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urging progress in the areas of human rights and democratisation.

He said he thought the Burmese authorities could see the advantages of a new approach.

"I think they recognise that it would be in their benefit, including on issues such as help on HIV and other social, economic and humanitarian problems," he said.

The UN envoy also said he set out his concerns over a government offensive against ethnic Karen rebels. Human rights groups say thousands of families have been forced to leave their homes to escape the violence.

The US has asked Mr Gambari to brief the UN Security Council on his visit.

"We consider the fact that he had such a meeting to be an important step ahead," US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said. "We'd now like to know more about the substance of that meeting."

The briefing, likely to take place next week, would be only the second such report to the council.