BANGKOK, Thailand - Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years -- met for a little more than an hour with a Myanmar government official Thursday, state-run television reported.
The Nobel peace laureate was driven from her home to a nearby government guest house, where she held talks with newly appointed "minister for relations" Aung Kyi, state-run television reported.
It was the first known meeting between Suu Kyi and Aung Kyi, a retired major general who was appointed to the post Oct. 8 to hold talks with her.
His exact duties have not been detailed, but it appeared Aung Kyi would coordinate all of Suu Kyi's contacts with both the regime and the United Nations, which is seeking to end the political deadlock between democracy advocates and the junta.
Appointing a liaison officer was suggested by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari during a visit to Myanmar weeks ago, state media said. Gambari met with both top junta officials and with Suu Kyi twice at a government guest house during his visit.
Myanmar's government has been strongly criticized for sending troops to quash peaceful protests in late September. The military junta said 10 people were killed, but diplomats and dissidents say the death toll is likely much higher. Thousands were arrested, and the hunt for participants is reportedly continuing.
Aung Kyi, who on Wednesday was elevated by the government to labor minister from deputy labor minister, has a reputation among foreign diplomats, UN officials and aid groups as being relatively accessible and reasonable, compared with junta leaders, who are highly suspicious of outsiders. He has had the delicate task of dealing with the International Labor Organization, which accuses the junta of using forced labor.
Earlier this month, the government announced that junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe was willing to meet with Suu Kyi -- but only if she met certain conditions, like renouncing support for foreign countries' economic sanctions against the military regime.
Than Shwe has only met Suu Kyi once before, in 2002.
Meanwhile, Gambari met Chinese officials for a second day of talks Thursday to push Beijing to do more to pressure Myanmar's leaders to ease its restrictions on pro-democracy activists.
Making his fifth stop in a six-nation tour, Gambari met Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi a day after Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei expressed backing for the UN envoy's efforts.
"We will continue to support you in playing a constructive role in finding a peaceful resolution in Myanmar," Wang said before the two began their closed-door talks.
China -- a political partner of Myanmar's junta and one of its top trading partners -- has joined UN Security Council members in criticizing the crackdown and has nudged the junta to talk with Gambari. But it also has blocked the Security Council from imposing sanctions.
Myanmar's military has ruled the country since 1962. The current junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi's party won a landslide election victory.
The protests in Myanmar began Aug. 19 after the government raised fuel prices in one of Asia's poorest countries. But they were based in a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with the repressive military rule that has gripped the country, previously known as Burma, since 1962. The protests were faltering when Buddhist monks took the lead late last month.
The junta's mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar, reported Thursday authorities would charge what they called the "bogus" Buddhist monks who led the protests.
"Most of the monks from the National Front of Monks are ex-convicts and the bogus monks who led the protests in violation of cleric rules" will be charged, the newspaper quoted Religious Affairs Minister Brig. Gen. Thura Myint Maung as saying during a meeting with senior monks in Yangon.
The minister said authorities had detained several monks for questioning but are releasing those who had unwittingly taken part in the protests. He did not mention how many. The report also did not say what the "bogus" monks would be charged with.
Buddhist monks enjoy great respect among the country's population at large, and the violent suppression of their protests has seriously hurt the junta's reputation.
To counter the bad impression, state media have been filled with stories suggesting the monks who took part in the protests were a tiny minority and not entirely religious, and reporting virtually daily on junta members visiting monasteries to make donations.
