Myanmar, Suu Kyi hold unprecedented talks

YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar's military government and the democratic opposition have launched face to face talks for the first time since the junta took power 13 years ago.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called for national reconcilation following the momentum generated by the talks as his Special Envoy, Razali Ismail, confirmed the two sides had met on more than one occasion since October.

Until now, military leaders have refused to talk to the opposition if National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi were involved.

Razali concluded a 5-day mission to the country where he met government representatives as well as Nobel Peace Laureate Suu Kyi.

Annan was "encouraged to learn that during his mission, Mr. Razali was able to confirm that the two sides had started a direct dialogue since last October and that they were satisfied with the results achieved so far in the area of confidence-building," a U.N. spokesman said.

The two sides are expected to start more substantive discussions shortly.

The Special Envoy's meeting with San Suu Kyi was the first contact by an outside visitor in nearly three months.

Myanmar has faced international condemnation for its treatment of the National League for Democracy and Suu Kyi.

A spokesman for Annan said in a statement that the Secretary-General also appealed to the international community to continue to support the ongoing process of dialogue.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on Tuesday time would tell if the dialogue was genuine.

"Obviously we will have to see where it leads and whether it is a genuine dialogue, rather than the kinds of patronizing and cruel conversations that were evident when I was there," Albright said, referring to a trip she made to meet Suu Kyi in Yangon in 1995, when she was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Suu Kyi has experienced years of isolation and harassment at the hands of Myanmar's military leadership.

She spent six years under house arrest until 1995 and three months ago was padlocked inside her house after a nine-day protest against government restrictions on her freedom of movement.

The National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the military refused to acknowledge the results.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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