India has important role to play on Myanmar: Brown

Gordon Brown says India has an important role to play with regard to the Myanmar's transition to democracy and end to problems there.

As he prepares to exhort India to do more on Myanmar, visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday said India has an important role to play with regard to the neighbouring country's transition to democracy and end to problems there.

HT Image

Brown, who will discuss the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, said international action is necessary to persuade the Myanmarese government that "they got to take seriously all the problems that exist in their country."

He favoured an early visit by UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambhari to be followed by a trip by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to Myanmar.

"I will ... Be raising this issue with Mr Singh as I believe that India as well as China have an important role to play in making sure that the end to violence happens in Burma (Myanmar)," the British Prime Minister told reporters soon after his arrival here on a two-day visit.

"I am pleased to say the Chinese government is working resolutely towards how to persuade (Myanmarese Junta) and we will be looking at how we can persuade the Burmese regime," said Brown, who came here after concluding a trip to Beijing.

He said he wanted to see the Myanmarese government reconciling with the people and having regular discussions with pro-democracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi for movement towards democracy.

"I want to see an end to the violence and release of political prisoners in Burma," he said.

Britain says that the process of democratisation in Myanmar did "not seem to be moving forward significantly" and underlines the need for "carrot and stick policy".