U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN SAID ON TUESDAY MYANMAR'S JUNTA MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRACY AND NATIONAL RECONCILIATION BY IMPOSING ANOTHER YEAR OF HOUSE ARREST FOR OPPOSITION LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, REUTERS REPORTED. THE NEWS ABOUT SUU KYI ON SATURDAY CAME JUST DAYS AFTER IBRAHIM GAMBARI, THE U.N. UNDERSECRETARY-GENERAL FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS, VISITED MYANMAR AND SAID THE RULING JUNTA APPEARED "READY TO TURN A NEW PAGE." ANNAN TOLD REPORTERS HE WAS DISAPPOINTED THE MYANMAR GOVERNMENT DID NOT RELEASE SUU KYI FROM DETENTION AND THAT HE HOPED GOVERNMENTS WOULD "BRING PRESSURE TO BEAR" IN APPEALING FOR HER RELEASE. "MYANMAR'S LEADERSHIP HAS MISSED A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY TO CONFIRM, THROUGH CONCRETE ACTIONS, ITS EXPRESSED COMMITMENT TO MOVE TOWARD TRUE NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND ALL-INCLUSIVE DEMOCRACY, AS WELL AS IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY," ANNAN SAID IN A STATEMENT.
