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Myanmar junta snubs United Nations secretary-general

Yangon - Myanmar's junta on Saturday snubbed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's requests to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, or even to visit the Nobel peace laureate, who is currently in a Yangon jail, sources said. Ban arrived i...
Posted : Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:41:38 GMT
By : DPA
Category : Asia (World)
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Yangon - Myanmar's junta on Saturday snubbed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's requests to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, or even to visit the Nobel peace laureate, who is currently in a Yangon jail, sources said. Ban arrived in Yangon midday Saturday from Naypyitaw, Myanmar's military headquarters, 350 kilometres north of Yangon, where the UN chief met twice with junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe.

Ban asked Than Shwe to free Suu Kyi, 64, and some 2,100 other political prisoners prior to a planned general election next year. He also requested permission to see Suu Kyi, who currently resides in Yangon's notorious Insein Prison.

He was refused both requests, government officials confirmed.

"There will be no meeting between Ban and Suu Kyi," said a Yangon-based government official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Upon arrival in Yangon, Ban immediately departed for the Irrawaddy Delta, which was devastated by Cyclone Nargis on May 2-3 last year, leaving an estimated 140,000 people dead or missing.

Ban last visited Myanmar a year ago, when he succeeded in persuading Than Shwe to facilitate international aid to the millions of victims left homeless and without food or medicine by the cyclone.

He has been less successful this trip, which aimed at putting political pressure on the authoritarian regime that has ruled Myanmar since 1988.

Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy opposition party, has been imprisoned for 14 of the past 20 years and faces another three to five years in jail if found guilty of breaking the terms of her house arrest.

The Nobel peace laureate has been charged with deliberately allowing US citizen John William Yettaw to swim to her lakeside residence May 3 and spend two nights in her compound.

A special court was scheduled to hear a defence witness in the Suu Kyi case Friday, but the hearing was postponed until July 10, perhaps because of Ban's arrival.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the 1990 general election by a landslide but has been blocked from power by Myanmar's junta ever since.

The new trial of Suu Kyi, whose most recent six-year house arrest sentence expired May 27, has sparked a chorus of protests from world leaders and statements of concern from its regional allies in ASEAN.

Ban will stopover in Bangkok Saturday night, when he has scheduled a brief meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"Abhisit is meeting the UN secretary-general both in his capacity as prime minister and as the current chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)," Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi said.

"Obviously Myanmar will be discussed but it will not be a single-issue meeting," Thani added.

Copyright DPA

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social asylum
By: Zia Golhezareh , Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:31:44 GMT

In the name of the Exalted God
The esteemed Tehran Based United Nations
Respectfully, I, Zia Golhezareh, was born in Kabul in 1976. In those years, I was living with my family in that city. At the beginning of the war, my father died and my mother left me alone and followed her own life. After that, one of my father's relatives became my step-father. He was a fighter and arrested in those days; because, he had hidden a lot of numbers of weapons in his house. The policemen took him; but, he run away and hid in his relatives' house. Then, he came back after several days. His family and I run away the house nightly, because the policemen were following my step-father. All of the family's lives were in danger. We came to the frontier of Iran without taking anything from there. My step-father put me among the weapons boxes in a boat. Then we crossed the Hamun Lake and entered into Iran. After that, we came to Tehran and lived in 13 Aban Town. We had a hard life there; because, my step-father had left his restaurant and bakery. He had just taken his savings, and couldn’t bring any things with him. Then he gave his house’s keys, and his restaurant and bakery’s titles to two persons of his acquaintances to sell them; but, when they went to Afghanistan from Iran, one of them became missing and the other one became martyr. He couldn’t go there himself, because his life was in danger. We had a difficult life in Iran, because we had a crowded family and I was a burden on them. My step-father was a bad-tempered man. They annoyed and beat me very much, and made me to do all of their housework (such as taking care of their children and taking them bath). Days passed in this way. I passed the primary school and junior high school and went to senior high school. Then, my step-father and his family’s lives became very difficult. He went into great debts and wanted to give me to his creditors instead of his debts; because, he didn’t need of me anymore and his children had grown. At that time,
I was cornered and life became very difficult! They annoyed me very much, inflicted a blow on me, and imprisoned me for some days and nights. They annoyed me so much that I wished my death. I thought with myself if I had a very hard and acrimonious life in my childhood and youth, instead, I would have a shine future by continuing my educations; but, God also took this wish from me. After awhile, they rejected his request; because, they arrived at a disagreement with him. He also threatened my family and me with our lives. His accomplices and he were standing in front of our house's door with their knives everyday and my step-father couldn't take stopped them. He was still a debtor. After that time, they prevent me to go to school. Then, my step-mother became sick hardly and was confined. After that, my step-father engaged my sister and me with two brothers. My brother-in-low confined my step-mother to a hospital through his relatives who were doctor and she became fine; but, my engaged left me alone because of my indifference and being aware of the problem and threats of my step-father’s creditor, and went to follow his life. After that, my step-father married me to another man and drove me out of his house without giving me any necessary furniture. It was the month of Day, the first of winter. My husband took me to a house in which there was nothing. There was only a carpet and some dishes. We did even not have a heater by which we could warm ourselves. He abandoned me and stayed in his relatives' house for some days and nights. I stayed with my loneliness and the cold of weather. It was so cold in the room that the steam froze on the window. He didn’t give me any money and I stayed with my problems; because, I had nowhere to go. I had no one to whom I shelter. After long time, my landlord brought me a heater and the situations became better. Although, I had a very hard and painful life in my childhood and youth, I had hoped to have a good future; but, for this matter, my future will be darker than my past. If my parents were alive; I wouldn’t have this humdrum and bitter life. Perhaps….perhaps…. (O God! Where are you to answer our cry for help?) After passing years and being born of my children, I began to work in a factory around Shahryar Town with my husband. Then, after coming my husband's relatives, he took all of my income and beat me. When I came out of there, my neighbor stopped me, and backed me there. He cursed and assaulted me again. He attacked both of my eyes with his hard fists. Both of my eyes bled. I requested him to divorce me. He beat me so much that I passed out. He imprisoned my son and me into the factory. After one day and night, I went to Farabi hospital to cure my eyes. As much as my husband worked, he gave me no money. He either sent his money to Afghanistan or gave them to his relatives. He also gave all of the furniture that we had, to his relatives and annoyed my children and me. He oppressed them and me so much that all of my little daughter’s teeth had been broken. He gave us a little amount of his income which wasn’t enough for our lives. His relatives and he cursed my children and me. His relatives took my children to a garden around there and made the dogs to follow my children. As soon as hearing their shouting, I went there and notified the owner of the garden. He took the dogs away. After that, my husband took his own money and my money and went out of house and abandoned us. Up to now, I haven’t understood what he has thought and where he has gone.
Many years passed from this matter. About two years ago, at the night of “Sham-e-Ghariban” ceremony, one of the neighbors invited me to mourning ritual of the head of the martyrs, Imam Hossein, in a Hosseinieh near our house. Then, some people began to argue with me and cursed my father. After that, their number increased, they pulled my chador. When I felt of danger, I called to my neighbor who was “Basiji” (Pertaining to mobilization). It didn’t take long that they took my mobile and other things from my hands. They began to beat me. They took my hands while they were strangling me. “Basijian” (Plural of “Basiji”) arrived and saved me, and took my mobile and other things back. The numbers of “Basijian” were few, but they were numerous. Then, people who where in a mosque near there, joined them and said: “Don’t think that this woman is lonely. All of us shelter of her.” Then “Basijian” told me: “Go and complain against them.” How could I get involved with a tribe? I went after my far relatives and acquaintances. But they said: “we can’t get involved with a tribe who are killer. Go and solve your problem by yourself.” I requested from my master, Imam Hossein, and my God to requite persons who involved in that fight, for their deeds. After a week, I was aware that the daughter, mother and mother-in-low of one of those who involved in that fight, have died and that man has gotten into the fractures in 4 sections of his body. For fear of them, I left that town and came into Tehran.
Consequently you are requested to admit my social asylum.
Mobile 00989354149853-982294223121
Email: mahmudi1963@yahoo.com
With best compliments
Zia Golhezareh



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