I find it difficult to understand how the UN special envoy Razali Ismail is going to tackle an obviously recalcitrant Burmese junta's desire for peace and national reconciliation with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD in his forthcoming trip to Burma in the middle of this month, the 10th he has undertaken so far under UN auspices.

Going by the UN special envoy's own statements of optimism published in malaysiakini , one cannot but conclude that Mr Ismail has not only misread the junta but that he hasn't a clue as to how to deal with the junta, let alone how to make them keep their promises.

Instead of soon-to-happen negotiations as predicted by Mr Ismail, the junta has only acted arbitrarily (yet again) and detained incommunicado Aung San Suu Kyi and imprisoned key NLD leaders. Is this what Mr Ismail means by "national reconciliation"? Is the special envoy's inability to understand and thus predict the junta's mindset and actions the basis for further UN-junta

talks?

If so, the UN's approach is indeed on very shaky ground. And Mr Ismail's trip to Rangoon, just as sure as the other earlier nine, is sure to end in utter futility.

As for Asean's constructive engagement policy with Burma, this a sham. If anything, Asean has only discredited itself by admitting an unethical and unelected government into its ranks. And for what? Profits for Asean companies even as the citizens of Burma bleed? Hurrah for Asean values.

Instead of toadying up to the Burmese junta and defending their actions as being beyond Asean reproach yet again, it is time Asean took itself and its international human rights responsibilities seriously. And so too the UN secretary-general. It is time substantive sanctions were imposed once and for all upon the junta to end their brutal and unelected rule in Burma.