The United Nations special envoy to Burma has met the opposition icon Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon, but was snubbed by the leader of the junta that crushed democracy protests last week.Ibrahim Gambari, a former Nigerian foreign minister, arrived in the country on Saturday and flew directly to Naypyidaw, the fortress capital recently established by the regime deep in the jungle of Burma, also known as Myanmar.
However, the mission was already floundering. Mr Gambari returned to Rangoon without meeting Senior General Than Shwe.
Instead he delivered his message condemning the massacres to the acting prime minister, the deputy foreign minister and the ministers of information and culture.
He has cancelled a planned flight to Singapore. A UN statement said he intended to meet Than Shwe before leaving.
"We want Mr Gambari to stay here long enough to get under way a genuine process of national reconciliation," said Mark Canning, Britain’s ambassador.
"He should be given as much time as that takes. That will require access to senior levels of government as well as a range of political actors."
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