U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday said he is sending his special advisor on Myanmar back to the region this weekend to meet with partners about the situation in the troubled Southeast Asian country. Ibrahim Gambari recently returned from a trip to Myanmar, where the government used force against peaceful demonstrations. Gambari will begin his consultations in Thailand next Monday before visiting Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, and Japan, with the desire of returning to Myanmar shortly thereafter, according to a statement issued by Ban's office. Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council issued a presidential statement Thursday strongly deploring the military government's use of force against the demonstrators. The 15-member council urged authorities to take major steps towards inclusive national reconciliation and underscored the importance of dialogue between the government and opposition leader Aung San Su Kyi.
