AP

Posted: 2008-01-30 14:23:59

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States expressed disappointment Wednesday at the lack of a time frame for reconciliation talks between the ruling junta in Myanmar and detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

But White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said she has been in touch with U.S. officials. He did not elaborate on how the contacts took place.

He said the U.S. has taken note that Suu Kyi has been allowed to meet with officials from her party, the National League for Democracy.

“We are pleased to have heard from Aung San Suu Kyi, herself,” Fratto said. “We’re disappointed to hear, however, that there has been no progress on a meaningful time-bound dialogue.

“The regime has refused to offer any time frame for commencement of a dialogue,” he said. “We once again call on the regime, as called for in the October 11th U.N. Security Council presidential statement, to begin a time-bound dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and all relevant parties, including ethnic minorities, immediately.”

Under pressure from Western nations and the U.N. after violently cracking down on anti-government demonstrations last September, the military regime agreed to open a dialogue with Suu Kyi to bridge their differences. She was also allowed for the first time in more than three years to meet fellow party leaders, Wednesday’s meeting being the second such occasion.

Myanmar has been in a political logjam since 1990, when the junta staged a general election but refused to let Suu Kyi’s party take power after it won. It instead stepped up a campaign of harassment and arrests of party supporters and other dissidents.