On
Myanmar's Nuclear Plans, UN's Ban Declines Comment, Split on
Constitution
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August 5 -- Emerging from a meeting
with his Group of Friend
on Myanmar, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was asked by Inner
City
Press what he makes of reports
that Myanmar is developing a nuclear
reactor or even, in an early stage, nuclear weapons with the
assistance of North Korea and Russia. "I do not have any
information on that," Mr. Ban replied, "therefore I am not
able to comment on that."
Afterwards,
a senior Ban advisor told Inner City Press that Mr. Ban had been
prepared to answer the question, and that the planned if-asked
talking point was that the UN does not have an substantial or
verifiable information, but that if it is true, it is a matter of
grave concern as this is precisely the moment the international
community should be driving toward non-proliferation. Oh that Ban had
said that.
It
was also explained to Inner City Press that if it had managed to ask
if Ban favors modification of the country's constitution, pushed
through in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which devotes 25% of seats to
people with military backgrounds, Ban probably would not have answer.
"The Group of Friends is divided on that," the source
explained.
UN's Ban in Yangon, nuclear plans not shown
He argued against the theory
that the timing of
Wednesday's meeting was meant to allow Ban, before he set off on
vacation, to speak his piece Myanmar. Rather, he said, some thing
that Myanmar blinked on July 31 and put off the Aung San Suu Kyi
verdict.
With another statement, perhaps
they'll think hard about
what verdict to impose. But again, Inner City Press asks, not without
sarcasm, does that mean Ban questions the separation in Myanmar
between the judicial and executive - or military - branches of
government? We're not commenting on that, a UN official answered. Nor
about the Constitution. Watch this site.
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