YANGON — UN chief Ban Ki-moon praised Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday for backing down over a boycott of parliament which had threatened to stall the fragile reform process.
After his first ever talks with the Nobel laureate, Ban hailed Suu Kyi as a "real leader" who had shown "flexibility" in climbing down over a refusal to take a parliamentary oath therein ending a political impasse.
In a rare retreat, Suu Kyi announced on Monday that her National League for Democracy party would take its seats in parliament -- dominated by the military and its political allies -- and pledge to "safeguard" the army-created constitution.