By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON (Reuters) - A U.N. envoy left Myanmar on Mondayafter seeing detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi twicein three days but without convincing the military junta toinclude her in its plans for political reform.
U.N. officials gave no details of Ibrahim Gambari's 50minutes with the Nobel laureate, who was taken from the stateguest house where they met on Monday back to the lakesideYangon villa where she has been under house arrest since May2003.
Later, he met Information Minister Kyaw Hsan, thehighest-ranking official he saw during his trip, to be told thejunta would not deviate from its own "roadmap to democracy"despite international pressure after last year's protests.
"To speak frankly, the road we have been taking is thecorrect and most suitable one for our country," Kyaw Hsan toldGambari in a meeting broadcast on state television.
His words squashed hopes the generals would include Suu Kyiand her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in theirmuch-criticised plans to restore civilian government after morethan four decades of military rule.
"We are firmly convinced that it is the best way and itwill ensure a smooth and peaceful transition to democracy forour country," Kyaw Hsan, a brigadier general, said.
Shortly afterwards, the Nigerian diplomat left forSingapore, ending his third visit to the former Burma sinceauthorities brutally crushed pro-democracy marches inSeptember.
During his four-day visit, the generals made it clear theywould not entertain any changes to the constitution they havedrafted, despite Western concerns it is a blueprint for themilitary hanging on to power.
Gambari's offer of election monitors for a May referendumon the charter and a planned 2010 election was rejected,increasing concerns about the freedom and fairness of bothpolls.
The generals said they had no need for external expertisein running the elections, saying they had "enough experience".
The last time they allowed a poll, in 1990, they decided toignore the result when Suu Kyi's party won more than 80percent.
The crackdown against last September's protests sparkedworldwide outrage and a major diplomatic push for politicalreform in the former British colony, which has been undermilitary rule since 1962.
However, with veto-wielding U.N. Security Council membersChina and Russia unwilling to see the imposition of bindinginternational sanctions, the generals have refused to budgefrom a roadmap that the West derides as a sham.
(Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Michael Battye andElizabeth Piper)
