UN envoy disappointed over Burma

By Matthew Wells
BBC News, New York

Mr Gambari met Aung San Suu Kyi but not key military leaders

The United Nations special envoy to Burma says that his recent trip to the country yielded no concrete results.

However, addressing the UN Security Council, Ibrahim Gambari promised that dialogue with the military-led government would continue.

He also made it clear that relations between Burma and the international community will not improve without Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Mr Gambari met the detained opposition leader on his visit earlier this month.

The UN is trying to influence the Burmese government's plans to hold a referendum on a new national constitution in May, on the road to what the leadership says will be "multi-party democratic elections" in 2010.

However, the military-led government is insisting on taking a bloc of seats in parliament, and exercising a veto over some parliamentary decisions.

Suu Kyi ban

Mr Gambari said his trip earlier in the month had been difficult and frustrating at times, and no tangible progress had been made:

"Whereas each of my previous visits produced some result that could be built upon, it is a source of disappointment that this latest visit did not yield any immediate tangible outcome," Mr Gambari said.

He added that there was no room for despair, and although talks had failed this time, there would be other opportunities.

His words were supported by Burma's ambassador to the UN, U Kyaw Tint Swe, who said the government would continue to co-operate.

But on the issue of Ms Suu Kyi, agreement seems as far away as ever.

The government continues to insist that she is ineligible to take part in the referendum, because she was married to a foreigner.