Burmese PM to Visit Cambodia

Myanmar PM to visit Cambodia: government
PHNOM PENH, Nov 27, 2007 (AFP) - Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein will
arrive Friday in Cambodia for an official visit, the foreign ministry said
Tuesday.
The lieutenant general is expected to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen, who
earlier this month rejected the imposition of sanctions against Myanmar's
military rulers over their crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Thein Sein is also expected to hold talks with other Cambodian ruling party
leaders during his three-day stay, which could coincide with a visit to
Cambodia by United Nations special envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari.
Gambari is expected in Cambodia later in the week, according to a UN
Development Programme official, who said his original Wednesday arrival date
had been scrapped but that no new dates had been fixed.
"It will probably be delayed," the official said.
Gambari, on a regional trip to assess the position of ASEAN (Association of
Southeast Asian Nations) countries towards Myanmar, was in Vietnam on Monday,
where he called on leaders to engage the isolated regime.
ASEAN has come under increasing pressure to push Myanmar towards democracy
since its rulers cracked down on anti-government protests in September, when
troops killed at least 15 people and arrested about 3,000, drawing
international condemnation.
Hun Sen also called in October for the junta to stop using violence to
stifle dissent, but said later that sanctions would only hurt the Myanmar
people, not the ruling generals.
Cambodia maintains close diplomatic ties with Myanmar, which has been under
military rule since 1962 and is one of the most isolated nations in the world.
Hun Sen travelled last visited there in May for trade and tourism talks.
sdm-bur/gs/mtp
Cambodia-Myanmar-UN-diplomacy
AFP 270440 GMT NOV 07