Pressure can move Myanmar junta: exiled leader

By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling junta is sensitive to world opinion despite its isolationism, an exiled opposition leader said on Wednesday, urging more international financial and political pressure to change the former Burma.

"The international pressure does mean something to the regime. They are really worried about it," said Maung Maung, Thailand-based secretary general of the exiled opposition National Council of the Union of Burma.

"Why would they let Gambari in right away if they did not care about the outside world?" he asked, referring to U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who will visit Myanmar from November 3-8 on a second mission to the Southeast Asian country.

Buddhist monks in Myanmar staged on Wednesday their first protest march since troops crushed a pro-democracy uprising last month.

Speaking on the eve of his appearance before a U.S. Congress human rights panel, Maung Maung said the world must not settle for periodic visits by Gambari.

"There needs to be an office that is mandated by (U.N.) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that can monitor events every day," he told Reuters.

A U.N. presence could stop atrocities and keep the junta from backing away from political dialogue with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Maung Maung added.

Myanmar state media say 10 people, including a Japanese video journalist, were killed when soldiers were sent in to clear the streets of Yangon and other cities, although Western governments said the real toll was likely far higher.