UN scorn for Burma's 'democratic' reforms

A UNITED Nations human rights envoy said yesterday he could believe in "gnomes, trolls and elves" as readily as he could credit the Burmese military's democratic reforms.

The UN said Burma denied a visa to its investigator Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, whose report to its Human Rights Council on Thursday cited growing repression after the crushing of monk-led protests in September.

"If you believe in gnomes, trolls and elves, you can believe in this democratic process in Myanmar (Burma]," Mr Pinheiro told a news briefing at the UN's European headquarters in Geneva. Mr Pinheiro initially told the briefing he had been granted a visa for Burma after two months delay, but later learned no visa had been issued.

His report said the government's announcement of a May referendum on a constitution to set the nation on a path to democracy, with elections in 2010, was difficult to reconcile with restrictions on speech.

The secretive administration in Burma was barring outdoor meetings of more than five people, had continued targeting opponents and held about 1,850 political prisoners, it said.

Burma's ambassador, Wunna Maung Lwin, said the report lacked objectivity.