AP

Posted: 2007-10-25 11:42:22

YANGON, Myanmar  (AP) – Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi – under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years – met for a little more than an hour with a Myanmar government official Thursday, state-run television reported.

The Nobel peace laureate was driven from her home to a nearby government guest house, where she held talks with newly appointed “minister for relations” Aung Kyi, state-run television reported.

It was the first known meeting between Suu Kyi and Aung Kyi, a retired major general who was appointed to the post Oct. 8 to hold talks with her.

His exact duties have not been detailed, but it appeared Aung Kyi would coordinate all of Suu Kyi’s contacts with both the regime and the United Nations, which is seeking to end the political deadlock between democracy advocates and the junta.

Appointing a liaison officer was suggested by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari during a visit to Myanmar weeks ago, state media said. Gambari met with both top junta officials and with Suu Kyi twice at a government guest house during his visit.

Aung Kyi, who on Wednesday was elevated by the government to labor minister from deputy labor minister, has a reputation among foreign diplomats, U.N. officials and aid groups as being relatively accessible and reasonable, compared with junta leaders, who are highly suspicious of outsiders. He has had the delicate task of dealing with the International Labor Organization, which accuses the junta of using forced labor.

Earlier this month, the government announced that junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe was willing to meet with Suu Kyi – but only if she met certain conditions, like renouncing support for foreign countries’ economic sanctions against the military regime.

Than Shwe has only met Suu Kyi once before, in 2002.

The junta’s mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar, reported Thursday authorities would charge what they called the “bogus” Buddhist monks who led the protests.

“Most of the monks from the National Front of Monks are ex-convicts and the bogus monks who led the protests in violation of cleric rules” will be charged, the newspaper quoted Religious Affairs Minister Brig. Gen. Thura Myint Maung as saying during a meeting with senior monks in Yangon.

The minister said authorities had detained several monks for questioning but are releasing those who had unwittingly taken part in the protests. He did not mention how many. The report also did not say what the “bogus” monks would be charged with.

Buddhist monks enjoy great respect among the country’s population at large, and the violent suppression of their protests has seriously hurt the junta’s reputation.

To counter the bad impression, state media have been filled with stories suggesting the monks who took part in the protests were a tiny minority and not entirely religious, and reporting virtually daily on junta members visiting monasteries to make donations.