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Razali Ismail spoke exclusively last week with Yap Mun Ching from the Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysiakini News Service. Razali spoke about his frustrations concerning the protracted negotiations, the potential for elections as well as the obstacles Burma must overcome before it will be viewed as a sound spot for foreign investors. "We are going forward. We do not want to go back. This is not about criticizing the government. It is about finding a way out." Q: What do you hope to achieve for your next visit to Myanmar [Burma]? A: I am hoping to get the momentum moving again, and I want to understand why it has slowed down. I want to get the wheels moving as agreed to by all parties before. Q: Are you going to meet the government and Aung San Suu Kyi separately? Yes. I'd like to see the highest people in the government if possible, that is Senior General Than Shwe. A request has been made [to meet with him]. Under him, there is Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, who is the person I have been seeing. He is the interlocutor. I would discuss most things, or all things, with him. Q: Is Khin Nyunt considered the one most supportive of the talks? A: That is the assumption people make. I cannot say whether he is most supportive. I think I have to assume that the government supports the talks and wants the talks to move forward. At the moment, the momentum is rather arrested. It has not moved. I would be bringing the concern of the United Nations and the international community to ask why since the lifting on the restrictions on Suu Kyi in May, a dialogue did not take place. A promise was made to me—that there would be a dialogue. I hope in the course of the discussions, we can work towards solving whatever bottleneck there is and continue with the steps for dialogue. Q: Did they say when they would meet for the dialogue? A: Yes. They didn't give a time but they said very soon. I have been dealing with dialogues and diplomatic discussions on various issues all over the world for a number of years. In my understanding, ‘very soon’ would be like a couple of weeks or three to four weeks. It has been more than that. Q: Are you surprised that the talks have not progressed? A: I am surprised seeing that. I can find no reason why there should be that much of a delay. There are always reasons, but the lapse is rather prolonged. Q: When you were first appointed as envoy, you said the peace process would take two to four years. It has been two years now. How long more do you think it will take? A: I do not allow myself the luxury of predetermining things. If there is genuine intention by all parties to try to achieve national reconciliation and move towards civilian constitutional democratic government, there is no reason why it cannot be done in the next few years. Q: Do you think the government really intends to move this forward? A: I do not allow myself to debate or agonize whether this is genuine or whether this is sincere. If you are facilitating, you mustn't ask yourself these questions. You must be positive and you must catch the momentum. Q: Since Suu Kyi was released from house arrest, she has mentioned the possibility of a compromise and there have been reports saying that she might be willing to abandon the 1990 election results. A: First, the word ‘compromise’ shouldn't be used. Suu Kyi has been travelling around. She has seen situations which have saddened her. She has seen that the Myanmar people are far behind their neighbors in terms of development. [This includes] their ability to deal with an economically competitive world and their [grasp] of technical and computer skills. I don't think anybody would dispute that Myanmar may be some 30 to 35 years behind Malaysia. [Suu Kyi] really wants Myanmar to catch up with that and make up for the lost time. She told me that she is prepared to cooperate with the government in anything as long as it brings direct benefit to the people and it promotes the process of democracy. She has not compromised on any of the principles that she has always stood for. But she has opened her mind to accepting certain things like working with the government as long as it helps the people. Q: But the economy is affected by the sanctions against Myanmar which Suu Kyi had supported. A: I can assure you that if there is no clear steps towards national reconciliation and political stability, even if there are no sanctions, investors would be [reluctant] to go in. Secondly, the country must have the absorptive capacity to deal with funds that come in. If they do not have the capacity, skilled labor and infrastructure, nobody will invest. I don't think that sanctions alone have put the clock back on Myanmar. It is also the inability to deal with economic adjustments and reform. For example, take China.