Dr Sein Win, prime minister of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, has urged leading governments trading with Burma to use their clout to enforce change and not let their trade interests supersede humanitarian concerns.

In light of the Burma's junta's intensification of imprisoning democracy supporters both as a means of intimidating the dissidents and as a means of clearing the ground prior to nominally free elections set for 2010, the NCGUB has called on ASEAN to launch a UN-backed inquiry into these human rights violations

On 10 November, President Bush nominated Michael J. Green, of Maryland, to be the United States Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma with the Rank of Ambassador. Mr. Green is currently an Associate Professor at Georgetown University and also serves as a Senior Advisor and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Prior to this, he served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council. Earlier in his career, he served as a Director of Asian Affairs at the National Security Council.