Ban Ki-moon says he will argue for release of political prisoners during talks with military junta leader

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, today arrived in Burma, where he said he would lobby directly for the release of the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ban acknowledged his high-profile mission would be “very difficult”.

A police motorcade escorted him into Yangon, the commercial capital, after his arrival.

Later, he is scheduled to fly to Naypyitaw, the remote administrative capital, for talks with the country’s leaders, including an hour of negotiations with the junta chief, Senior General Than Shwe.

“I’m going to argue for the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi,” Ban told reporters in Singapore, adding that he plans to “raise her case directly” with Than.

Ban is also scheduled to meet the Burmese prime minister, General Thein Sein.

“This is going to be, I know, a very difficult mission. But at the same time, I know that to bring changes to Myanmar, political conciliation and democratisation, we need to do our best,” he said.

He said he would “convey the concerns of the international community about the slow pace of political conciliation and democratisation process”.

Shortly after he arrived in Myanmar, the court presiding over Suu Kyi’s widely criticised trial announced an adjournment until 10 July.

The trial had been due to resume Friday after a month-long delay, with the pro-democracy leader’s final defence witness taking the stand.

Her lawyers had appealed against the court’s decision to ban three key witnesses, one of whom was reinstated by an appeals court.

Earlier this week, Michele Montas, a UN spokeswoman, said Ban would push to meet Aung San Suu Kyi personally.

If he is allowed to meet with her, he will be the first UN secretary general to do so since her first period of detention began in 1989.

The 64-year-old Nobel peace prize winner is charged with violating the terms of her house arrest when an uninvited American man swam secretly to her lakeside home and stayed for two days.

She has pleaded not guilty but faces five years in prison if convicted and is being detained at the notorious Insein prison.

The trial has prompted outrage from world leaders, Nobel laureates and human rights groups, who say the junta is using the bizarre incident as an excuse to keep Suu Kyi behind bars through elections scheduled for 2010.

She has been in detention for more than 13 of the last 19 years.

During his visit, Ban is also expected to meet ethnic minority groups and the leaders of political parties including senior members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy.

Speaking prior to the trip, Ban said his talks would also focus on the resumption of dialogue between the military government and its opposition and creating the conditions for credible elections.

Suu Kyi told her lawyers during a two-hour meeting that national reconciliation was key to solving country’s problems.