The United States government has pledged renewed support for United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail ( photo ) in pushing for national reconciliation in Burma following a meeting with the envoy last week.

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard L Armitage said he met with Razali last Friday and assured the envoy of continuing support for attempts at bringing about dialogue between the Rangoon government and the political opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Razali has made tireless efforts on behalf of national reconciliation in Burma. We salute him for these efforts and support his future attempts to foster dialogue," he said in a statement released by the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur today.

Armitage's statement has come as an important indicator of US position with regard to the UN-led national reconciliation mission following the re-arrest of Suu Kyi on May 30.

In the days following her detention, several US policymakers and Burma lobbyists in Washington had expressed impatience with Razali's approach, calling instead for tough actions against the junta.

'Shortsighted' junta

However, Armitage said the US government "places the blame squarely" on the "oppressive and shortsighted" junta for the lack of progress in the national reconciliation process.

"The generals have failed to take advantage of opportunities offered to them to become full-fledged members of the international community," he said in the statement.

"They should rethink their policies toward their own people and reinstate those freedoms, such as the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and freedom to express one's political views that are universally enshrined."

Armitage said the Burmese government must release Suu Kyi and other leaders of her party immediately.

Since her arrest more than a month ago, Suu Kyi has been held incommunicado, while a number of key leaders of her National League for Democracy have been either held in prisons or under house arrest.

To date, Razali remains the only outsider to have met with Suu Kyi. The International Committee of the Red Cross was allowed permission last month to visit other NLD leaders in detention.

Canada joins in

Meanwhile, Armitage also called upon Asean to step up pressure on Rangoon to release Suu Kyi.

"We have welcomed Asean's comments on the situation in Burma, and we look forward to the upcoming Asean ministerial-level visit to Rangoon to encourage democratic change," he added.

"Burma's association with the organisation increasingly complicates Asean's dealings with the international community, particularly as Burma is scheduled to take on leadership posts, including the Asean chairmanship in 2006."

On a related development, the Canadian government last week announced new travel restrictions on Burmese officials, including Burmese diplomats in Canada.

In addition to a travel ban for all members of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council, Burmese officials in Canada are also required to notify the Canadian government whenever they travel outside the administrative capital Ottawa.

"These new restrictions signal our condemnation of recent state-sponsored attacks on Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters and their continued detention," said Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham in a statement forwarded by the Canadian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

He reiterated his government's call for a the business community to refrain from entering into further investment agreements or commercial ventures in Burma until the political situation "improves".

Diplomatic offensive

The political stalemate in Rangoon over Suu Kyi's detention is now into its seventh week with no end in sight.

The Burmese government has so far resisted pressure from the international community to fix a date for Suu Kyi's release, although it made a concession two weeks ago by moving her out of the prison compound where she had been held.

Burmese Prime Minister Than Shwe ( photo ) also launched a diplomatic offensive by sending out his Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win to meet with key Asian leaders.

Last week, Khin met with Razali and Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Kuala Lumpur after stopping in Bangkok and Tokyo. He then went on to Jakarta to meet with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

Razali is currently on a two-week visit to the US to brief UN secretary-general Kofi Annan on developments in Burma.