During the recent visit of EAM Pranab Mukherjee to Washington, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice reportedly sought New Delhi’s help in dealing with the Myanmar issue1. Meanwhile on March 26, senior general Than Shwe stated that the junta was not power hungry and asserted that it would assist the civilian government after the elections planned to be held in 20102. Reports also indicated that the military junta supported the crackdown by the Chinese authorities in Tibet3.

In other developments, the UN Human Rights Council urged the Myanmarese authorities to release all political prisoners and control the increasing numbers of human rights violations that were being reported across the country4.

• 1. “US Seeks India's Help on Burma,” Irrawaddy News, March 27, 2008, at http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11139
• 2. “Than Shwe Promises Power Handover,“ Irrawaddy News, March 27, 2008, at http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11143
• 3. “Burmese Junta Supports China’s Crackdown in Tibet,” Irrawaddy News, 28 March, 2008, at http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11156
• 4. “UN rights council condemns Myanmar's human rights record,” Associated Foreign Press, March 28, 2008, at http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j14_d601asW2zB_zDL9hJhAKmhSA