Mystery surrounds U.N. peace envoy in Myanmar (Reuters)

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Mystery surrounds U.N. peace envoy in Myanmar
Mon Oct 1, 2007 8:17am ET

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari on Monday after he flew to Myanmar's new jungle capital to persuade the junta to end its crackdown on the biggest pro-democracy protests in 20 years.

The U.N. office in Yangon said he remained in the former Burma, but it gave no further details. "He looks forward to meeting Senior General Than Shwe and other relevant interlocutors before the conclusion of his mission," the U.N. said in a statement.

One diplomatic source said Gambari was being made to wait until Tuesday to meet junta supremo Than Shwe, and with the streets of Yangon quiet on Monday, had gone on a trip to Lashio, in the hills of Shan state, near the Chinese border.

No reasons for the destination were offered, although one Bangkok-based diplomat said a small group of traveling European academics was in the capital, Naypyidaw, 240 miles
north of Yangon, and due in Lashio on Tuesday.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSB58859920071001