United Nations envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari met Sunday with detained pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi at her home, where she has been under arrest for more than four years.

Gambari has been sent to Myanmar to assess the country’s situation in the wake of a violent crackdown on anti-government protests and was allowed to meet with democracy icon Suu Kyi.

The envoy arrived Saturday in Yangon, but didn’t begin his mission there and flew to the capital Naypyidaw, 350 kilometres north of Yangon.

In Naypyidaw Gambari reportedly discussed with Myanmar’s acting Prime Minister and Lieutenant-General Thein Sein, Minister for Information Brigadier General Kyaw San, Minister for Culture Major General Khin Aung Myint and Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu.

“He conveyed a message from the (UN) Secretary-General,” a statement released by the UN said. “He looks forward to meeting Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, before the conclusion of his mission,” it added.

After talking with Myanmar’s top officials, the envoy returned to Yangon, where he received approval to hold talks with Suu Kyi.

She has been kept nearly 12 of the past 18 years under house arrest in Myanmar’s largest city and former capital. Many see Suu Kyi as the only person who can bring democracy in the Southeast Asian country ruled by the iron-fisted regime for more that four decades.

After the military junta cracked down on protests led by Buddhist monks earlier this week, the UN dispatched Gambari to Myanmar to evaluate the situation before considering further actions.

Gambari’s visit was welcomed by most people, while others maintained a dose of skepticism, saying he won’t be able to change the situation.

The Nigerian diplomat last visited Yangon last year in May, when he also met with Suu Kyi just one week before the junta prolonged her detention period.

The government’s reprehensible actions were criticized by both the international community and people living in Myanmar. An intellectual from Yangon said “the generals don't care about the opinion of other governments, they don't care about the opinion of their own people, and they certainly won't care about the clever advice of a UN diplomat.”

Meanwhile, security forces reinstated their rule on the streets of Yangon after almost two weeks of turmoil and demonstrations that ended abruptly and left behind at least ten dead.

The city’s renown golden pagodas were heavily guarded by soldiers, an impressive number of soldiers being seen in front of the compounds and on main streets that were the site of violent clashes between thousands of people and government troops two days ago.

On Sunday, the government mouthpieces filled entire pages with stories about pro-junta marches in other regions of the country, urging people to maintain peace and order.

The articles were seen as propaganda coming after months of social unrest sparked by soaring fuel prices and inflation. Myanmar was once one of the most prosperous countries in South-East Asia, but it quickly turned into one of the poorest in the world due to the reckless military dictatorship that was installed in 1962.

The sudden price hikes triggered a wave of protests last month, but authorities crushed into submission the demonstrators. The protests were then taken up by the Buddhist monkhood and continued throughout the past month.

Despite the peaceful manner of protesting, the junta didn’t tolerate the daily marches for too long and launched a violent crack down on Wednesday. Hundreds of monks and laymen were beaten up and arrested by soldiers, who even raided monasteries to stop the monks from staging new protests.

At least ten people were killed by the army’s bullets on the streets of Yangon, one of those killed being a Japanese photographer. Monasteries on Yangon’s outskirts have lost more than half their monks, who were arrested or fled to other regions.