That Ban did go to Myanmar is an achievement of sorts, but then he is also under pressure to be seen as more assertive in his role. The generals of what was formerly known as Burma are difficult to deal with. Ban himself did not sound very positive and had called the visit, aimed at pressuring the regime to release political 
prisoners and hold free and fair elections, a “tough mission”.

His inability to meet Suu Kyi was an indication of how little the military rulers of the impoverished country care for the world opinion. Locked up in Naypyidaw, the new capital built in 2005 in the central hills of the country, the generals have little to lose by keeping Suu Kyi in detention. The Noble Prize winner faces a peculiar problem – the longer she is kept behind a locked door, the quicker she would disappear from the headlines and therefore, from the global psyche. The generals aren’t unhappy with that situation.

Most countries in Asia, which have larger trade and geo-political interest in Myanmar, have shown little interest in helping extricate Suu Kyi from her years of imprisonment. For the West, Myanmar is at best marginal. Unlike North Korea, Mynamar’s reclusive regime has done little to create trouble in the world. They haven’t shot missiles in the air; neither do they have a nuclear programme that raises political stakes.

Given the situation, it falls upon the United Nations to seek results from Ban’s “tough mission” and send clear signals that the world community will not tolerate the regime’s position on Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in the country. The UN also needs to urge major regional powers – China and India – to use their influence with the generals to push them towards opening up. It’s time Suu Kyi was helped and not left behind to languish in history that she could have once written.

Her commitment and determination in the face of oppression and intimidation over these long years is a source of inspiration to many in Myanmar and the world. It’s high time to go beyond lip service in helping her realise her ideals. Neither should she fail, nor her nation.