"As I said, I was pleased with the discussion with Burmese leaders but the outcome of the visit depends on what the concrete and positive decisions that are taking in the number of areas," Gambari, the UN Undersecretary for Political Affairs, told a press in Bangkok Monday.

Gambari was speaking after meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram after visiting Burma for the second time over the weekend.

Asked about his meeting with the detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, the UN envoy said the lady welcomed the kind of engagement and contacts between the UN and Burma.

 "She believes that herself, her party, the National League for Democracy has a major contribution to make. They are supportive for the dialog that leads to concrete results," he said.

This was the second meeting Gambari has held with Aung San Suu Kyi.

He met her last May on his first trip to Burma. The lady has been under detention of one kind or another for most of the past 17 years that she has been in detention for more than 4000 days in total. Altogether, over 1,185 political prisoners, including 14 MPs are presently being detained.

Gambari said her release and other political prisoners are up to the Burmese authority to decide.

In year 2005 alone, at least 144 politicians including six MP select were sent to jail. Many of them were given harsh prison terms. Khun Tun Oo,  a member of parliamentelected and the chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy was sentenced to 93 years and a Muslim member of parliamentelected U Kyaw Min to 47 years.

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas

The Nation