Thai PM Says West Uses Myanmar's Suu Kyi As Political Tool
"Europe uses Aung San Suu Kyi as a tool. If it's not related to Aung San Suu Kyi, you can have deeper discussions with Myanmar," he told reporters after the Bangkok meeting.
"Aung San Suu Kyi is one thing. The (international community) should talk about how to bring democracy in Myanmar and focus on the constitution and the elections," he added.
Samak said he would relay that message in a meeting with United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon in New York next month.
Gambari left Myanmar on Saturday after failing to secure a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for most of the last 19 years.
Her National League for Democracy, NLD, party has branded the UN visit a " waste of time".
Aung San Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide election victory in 1990, but was never allowed to govern.
The regime instead unveiled its own "road map" to democracy and drafted a new constitution, which was approved in a much-criticized referendum in May.
The junta says the charter will set the stage for elections in 2010, but the pro-democracy movement say the process simply enshrines the army's position in the nation it has ruled since 1962.
Samak said that as the current chair of regional bloc the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, Thailand would try to persuade the junta to allow observers at the promised election.
"Aung San Suu Kyi is one thing. The (international community) should talk about how to bring democracy in Myanmar and focus on the constitution and the elections," he added.
Samak said he would relay that message in a meeting with United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon in New York next month.
Gambari left Myanmar on Saturday after failing to secure a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for most of the last 19 years.
Her National League for Democracy, NLD, party has branded the UN visit a " waste of time".
Aung San Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide election victory in 1990, but was never allowed to govern.
The regime instead unveiled its own "road map" to democracy and drafted a new constitution, which was approved in a much-criticized referendum in May.
The junta says the charter will set the stage for elections in 2010, but the pro-democracy movement say the process simply enshrines the army's position in the nation it has ruled since 1962.
Samak said that as the current chair of regional bloc the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, Thailand would try to persuade the junta to allow observers at the promised election.
the United Nations' most senior negotiator with Myanmar, left the country Saturday after failing to secure a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, who is kept under house arrest by the ruling generals.
The junta said that the Nobel peace prize winner had refused to see Gambari, and on Sunday printed pictures in its New Light of Myanmar newspaper of his entourage waiting in vain outside her lakeside home in Yangon.
Nyan Win, a spokesman for the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said he did not know why their leader was unable to meet Gambari, but said no key demands of the democracy movement had been resolved.
"I have read reports in the newspaper that the authorities did not reply to the two aims of Mr. Gambari's mission," Nyan Win told AFP.
"One is to release political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the other is the dialogue between the government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he said, using an honorific to describe the pro-democracy leader.
"In conclusion, Mr. Gambari's visit resulted in no improvement and was a waste of time."
Aung San Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide election victory in 1990, but was never allowed to govern.
The military regime instead unveiled its own "road map" to democracy and after more than a decade of delays drafted a new constitution, which was approved in a referendum in May.
The junta says the charter will set the stage for elections in 2010, but the pro-democracy movement says the process simply enthrones the army's position in the nation it has ruled since 1962.
"We firmly believe that the way to bring about democracy peacefully is the seven-step road map," Information Minister Kyaw Hsan said in comments to Gambari published in the New Light of Myanmar on Sunday.
He also told Gambari: "We have made all necessary arrangements for Your Excellency to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Your Excellency also wished to meet with her and tried your best."
Gambari flew to Yangon last Monday hoping to revive talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the regime, but he was shunned by her and the junta's senior leadership, meeting only the prime minister, who holds little power.
In a statement released late Saturday, the United Nations said only that Gambari held "open and extensive meetings" with Prime Minister Thein Sein.
The junta said that the Nobel peace prize winner had refused to see Gambari, and on Sunday printed pictures in its New Light of Myanmar newspaper of his entourage waiting in vain outside her lakeside home in Yangon.
Nyan Win, a spokesman for the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, said he did not know why their leader was unable to meet Gambari, but said no key demands of the democracy movement had been resolved.
"I have read reports in the newspaper that the authorities did not reply to the two aims of Mr. Gambari's mission," Nyan Win told AFP.
"One is to release political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the other is the dialogue between the government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he said, using an honorific to describe the pro-democracy leader.
"In conclusion, Mr. Gambari's visit resulted in no improvement and was a waste of time."
Aung San Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide election victory in 1990, but was never allowed to govern.
The military regime instead unveiled its own "road map" to democracy and after more than a decade of delays drafted a new constitution, which was approved in a referendum in May.
The junta says the charter will set the stage for elections in 2010, but the pro-democracy movement says the process simply enthrones the army's position in the nation it has ruled since 1962.
"We firmly believe that the way to bring about democracy peacefully is the seven-step road map," Information Minister Kyaw Hsan said in comments to Gambari published in the New Light of Myanmar on Sunday.
He also told Gambari: "We have made all necessary arrangements for Your Excellency to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Your Excellency also wished to meet with her and tried your best."
Gambari flew to Yangon last Monday hoping to revive talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the regime, but he was shunned by her and the junta's senior leadership, meeting only the prime minister, who holds little power.
In a statement released late Saturday, the United Nations said only that Gambari held "open and extensive meetings" with Prime Minister Thein Sein.
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