Myanmar gives green light to U.N. rights visit

A human rights activist holds a photo of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi

YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar's military government has approved the visit of the new U.N. human rights envoy to the country in the first week of April.

"We have given the green light to the visit of the new U.N. special rapporteur," a senior Myanmar Foreign Ministry official said.

Diplomatic sources in Yangon said Brazil's Paulo Sergio Pinheiro would meet representatives of both the military government and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), including its leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The NLD won Myanmar's most recent elections in 1990 by a landslide, but has never been allowed to govern.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been held in de facto house arrest since September, with access to her tightly controlled.

But international governments have welcomed news that the government has held several meetings with Suu Kyi to try to find common ground.

Pinheiro succeeded Rajsoomer Lallah of Mauritius, who resigned in November after four years in the job. Lallah was never allowed to visit Myanmar.

Lallah's last report, in October, accused the military government of torturing, raping and executing civilians, particularly members of ethnic minority groups.

The United States' annual report on global human rights released last month, grouped Myanmar with Cuba and North Korea as the world's three worst countries for human rights abuses.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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