United Nations: The Security Council today deplored the slow progress in initiating democratic reforms in Myanmar and pressed for an early visit to the country by UN mediator Ibrahim Gambari.

After huddling with Gambari, the 15 council members said in a statement that they "regretted the slow rate of progress so far toward" meeting objectives they set out last October, a month after Myanmar's military junta crushed the biggest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20 years.

Underscoring the importance of "further progress" toward the goal of reconciliation between the military regime and the opposition, they noted that "an early visit by Mr Gambari could help facilitate this."

Gambari, the UN's pointman in efforts to foster reconciliation between the military government and the opposition, said all council members stressed, during closed-door consultation "the need to accelerate progress." Gambari has visited Myanmar twice since the bloody military crackdown in September.

At least 15 people were killed and 3,000 arrested in the September violence, which sparked global outrage against the regime with the United States and the European Union tightening sanctions against the country s top rulers.
Gambari said he asked to return to Myanmar this month but was told by authorities that an April visit would be more convenient for them.

Source : PTI