Burmese exiles and political analysts were justifiably cautious about the military regime's announcement on October 8th that it had appointed a "minister for relations" to negotiate with Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's pro-democracy leader. The move is the regime's most significant in several years and follows a visit by Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar, who conveyed the world's revulsion at the violent crackdown last month. But whether it will lead to real change is, at best, uncertain.
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