U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon could leave Myanmar empty-handed after apparently failing to win any concessions today from the country's top military ruler or to gain permission to visit opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in jail, according to dpa. Ban talked for two hours with reclusive Senior Gen. Than Shwe in an ornate reception hall _ complete with an indoor waterfall _ in Naypyitaw, the junta's remote, newly built capital. It was a rocky start to what the U.N. chief predicted would be «a very tough mission» to win freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced ong sahn SUE CHEE), the 64-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has been detained by the junta for nearly 14 of the past 20 years and is now on trial charged with violating her house arrest. The U.N. chief will press again Saturday in another private meeting, a U.N. spokeswoman said. He also will continue to seek various other reforms that include democratization, fair elections, economic cooperation and freedom for her and all other political prisoners. Ban emerged from Friday's meeting saying he still hoped to meet Suu Kyi before he leaves the country on Saturday night.
