Ex-UN head Ban calls for more diplomatic pressure on Myanmar's military leaders

SEOUL, June 1(AP): Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he was communicating with authorities in military-run Myanmar as well as members of the armed resistance following a surprise visit to the country last month, and called for more diplomatic pressure on the ruling generals to end the violence.

Ban did not specify the nature of those communications and declined to disclose the details of his conversations with military leaders during their April meetings. He was speaking at a Seoul news conference along with other members of The Elders, a group of senior statesmen engaging in peacemaking and human rights initiatives around the world.