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"If Gambari's attempt continues to fail in bringing results, Ban Ki-moon himself should visit Burma and let the military generals know clearly that the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable," said NLD spokesman Nyan Win.

UN officials are cautious about the prospect of such visit taking place, however.

"The secretary-general is willing to consider different options," said Farhan Haq. "He has been talking with different Myanmar [Burma] authorities as he has opportunity to. But he has established his senior official, Mr Ibrahim Gambari, as a special envoy who is the person to carry a message from the secretary-general to the Myanmar [Burma] authorities, as he has done several times in recent months. This is where Ban Ki-moon's initiative focuses on at present."

Diplomatic sources in New York said that UN officials are concerned about possible embarrassment for Ban Ki-moon if the Burmese junta refuses to follow his minimum requests and suggestions.

However, in order to help maximize the international effort to resolve Burma's crisis, there is a need now to strengthen the direct involvement of Ban Ki-moon by demanding a separate UNSC mandate, mobilizing the "Friends of Myanmar” group mechanism or by a personal visit to Naypyidaw—or a combination of all these options.

In any case, the suffering of the Burmese people under the military boot is far higher than any possible discomfiture Ban Ki-moon may experience by being rejected by either the regime or its close ally, China. The secretary-general must try his best for Burma.