Myanmar allows U.N. rights envoy back

YANGON, Myanmar, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The military government of Myanmar relented Sunday on its 4-year-old ban of U.N. human rights envoy Sergio Pinheiro.

Since November 2003, the country has refused Pinheiro entry rights, but he arrived in Yangbon, formerly known as Rangoon on Sunday, the BBC reported.

His first mission will be to investigate what happened to protesters who were detained in September demonstrations started by Buddhist monks protesting the doubling of gasoline prices.

A BBC correspondent said that could prove difficult, as the International Red Cross has suspended its prison visits because it is no longer allowed private access to inmates.

The government sealed off media reporting during the demonstrations and later said 10 demonstrators had died battling security forces. Independent reports claim more than 100 people were killed.

Last week, U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari met with government officials and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest.