UN envoy Razali Ismail has only a slim chance of meeting democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been detained by the junta for over a week, a source close to his mission to Myanmar said yesterday.
Razali is expected to cut short his trip if the government refuses to allow him to see Aung San Suu Kyi, who was taken into custody after violent clashes in northern Myanmar in which she is believed to have been hurt.
After talks with military intelligence chief General Khin Nyunt and Foreign Minister Win Aung, Razali indicated on Saturday he had not yet been granted a meeting, but that he was still hopeful of securing one.
"I am still discussing this with the government," he told reporters.
But officials with the envoy in Yangon said that although the tone of the meetings had been polite and friendly, he had made little progress in his goals of securing a meeting and pushing for her release.
"There is a 10 percent chance that he can see her. It will depend on the meeting tomorrow morning with the highest officials," the source said, adding that the talks would be with one of the junta's top-three generals.
"If he doesn't he could leave as soon as tomorrow," he said. Razali's visit began Friday and is due to run until tomorrow.
The source said the regime's unwillingness to allow Razali to see Suu Kyi lent weight to suspicions she was hurt in the May 30 violence.
"It's very logical to think this, and also she's the No. 1 witness," he said. "The officials still say she wasn't hurt, but we won't be able to verify this as long as we haven't seen her with our own eyes".
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