UN envoy ends visit to India on Myanmar

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India said it was "worried" Myanmar was not moving fast enough on democratic reforms, although New Delhi remained opposed to imposing sanctions on the regime to speed up the process.

A senior foreign ministry official made the comment as United Nations envoy on Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari ended a three-day visit to New Delhi for talks with Indian leaders on its military-run neighbour."What worries us is that (Myanmar's) transition to democracy ... has not made rapid progress ... has not moved as fast as we would want," said the official who did not wish to be identified.The official said New Delhi would continue to "encourage" Myanmar to hold talks with pro-democracy groups "because we need a peaceful" neighbourhood.Gambari met with top Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon during his visit.Indian leaders have come in for heavy criticism over their muted reaction to the junta's violent crackdown on anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks last year.But Gambari said during a visit here in October that he was "encouraged" by Indian pledges to support efforts to resolve the Myanmar crisis.India's prime minister also emphasised the also met with his Myanmar counterpartIndia has cultivated close ties with Myanmar's military rulers in recent years, citing its huge energy requirements as well as its need to jointly battle separatist rebels who are active along the two countries' jungle border.

The country is also competing for influence with its main Asian rival, China.The official said Thursday New Delhi supported UN efforts for a return to democracy in Myanmar but opposed sanctions as "regimes like that know how to ride sanctions." "Many years of sanctions have not worked... we need to work together" to bring in democracy, he added.