NEW YORK — From opposite sides of the world, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush yesterday denounced Burma for arresting pro-democracy activists, while the United Nations took aim at the nation’s new constitution that glorifies its military junta.
Mrs. Bush told pro-democracy activists, including several hundred monks who were arrested earlier yesterday, that “the rest of the world” condemns Burmese government repression.
“All these demonstrators want is for the government to be responsive to them,” she told reporters at the White House.
From Sydney, Australia, Mr. Bush vowed to take up concerns about Burma at a 21-nation economic summit he is attending.
“It’s inexcusable that we have this kind of tyrannical behavior in Asia,” Mr. Bush said.
The chief U.N. envoy for Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, yesterday criticized the government’s actions during three weeks of protests, and slammed the constitutional process.
“These incidents cannot be seen in any other way than as a setback for Myanmar,” said Mr. Gambari, using the name for Burma that is favored by its military government.
“They are all the more disappointing as they not only have the effect of calling into question the government’s stated commitment to democratization and national reconciliation, but they also make it all the more difficult to maintain support for engagement with Myanmar at a time when the country needs international assistance in addressing many pressing challenges, from political and human rights issues to humanitarian and socioeconomic problems,” he told reporters.
Mr. Gambari has just returned from a tour of the region, and said he expects to make his third trip to Burma next month.
He praised China and Southeast Asian nations for pressing the government on global human rights and humanitarian concerns.
On Burma’s so-called road map to democracy, he criticized the “exclusive nature” of handpicked junta-friendly representatives who drafted the latest constitution, noting that parts of the document “would seemingly run counter to the objectives of national reconciliation and democratization.”
The envoy said he hopes international pressure will ease conditions for the impoverished country’s 47 million people and spark the release of Nobel Peace Prize winner and democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi.
“Let’s see how far we can press those who have influence to play a role, because ultimately we all share the same objectives,” he said.
The White House has been leaning on the United Nations for nearly a year to do more for the Burmese people.
Earlier this summer, Mrs. Bush asked U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to publicly support her efforts to promote Burmese democracy and human rights. Mr. Bush repeated the request during a telephone conversation with Mr. Ban earlier this month.
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