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Junta agrees to early visit

Bowing to international pressure, Myanmar's rulers on Tuesday agreed to a return visit by UN mediator Ibrahim Gambari early next month.

The move came one day after the military junta agreed to allow Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil, the UN's human rights rapporteur for Myanmar, to visit the country for the first time in four years.

Gambari, currently on a six-nation Asian tour, "expects to visit Myanmar in the first week of November as the Myanmar government agreed to bring forward his standing invitation to the country," UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said.

Last week Gambari said that he had been invited to return to Myanmar in the third week of November, but the US and its European allies made it clear that they wanted the UN emissary back in Myanmar as soon as possible.

The UN Security Council on Oct. 11 slammed the junta's crackdown and called for the "early release of all political prisoners and remaining detainees" to pave the way for national reconciliation and a transition to democracy.

France and the US then warned the military regime that failure to comply with the council demands would lead to unspecified punitive measures.

On Oct. 19 the US tightened its sanctions on Myanmar's military rulers, and urged China and India to step up pressure on the junta.

EU foreign ministers on Oct. 15 also approved new sanctions against the Myanmar regime, including an embargo on the export of wood, gems and metals, but not oil.

But the impact of Western sanctions has been weakened by the eagerness of China, India and Thailand to tap Myanmar's rich natural wealth to fuel their own growing economies.

With that in mind, a senior US official on Tuesday called on China and India to suspend arms or energy sales to Myanmar's military regime over its political repression.

"Now is the time for Beijing and New Delhi to forgo energy deals that put money in the pockets of the junta and suspend weapons sales to this regime," Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said.

"We hope that China and India will urge the Burmese generals to work with the UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari," Negroponte said.

Myanmar has been in the world spotlight since regime forces crushed pro-democracy protests spearheaded by the country's revered Buddhist monks in September.

Gambari, a seasoned UN trouble-shooter, was quickly sent to Myanmar to convey international outrage over the violence that left at least 13 people dead.

Gambari headed from India to China late on Tuesday on the next leg of his regional tour after earlier visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore as he tried to rally support for his mediation with Myanmar's autocratic rulers.

Separately, a coalition of activists are scheduled to hold rallies outside Chinese embassies in 12 cities across the world in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi.
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