United Nations ? Myanmar’s government has agreed to a visit by the U.N.’s human rights investigator, who has been barred from entering the military-ruled country since 2003, the United Nations said Monday.

Myanmar has been strongly criticized for sending troops to quash peaceful protests by students and monks last month. The U.N. Human Rights Council condemned the crackdown at an emergency session Oct. 2 and urged an immediate investigation of the rights situation in the country.

Romanian Ambassador Doru-Romulus Costea, who chairs the 47-nation rights council, appealed to the Myanmar government to allow an urgent visit by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, who was appointed as the U.N’s independent expert on human rights in Myanmar seven years ago.

In a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Nyan Win suggested that Pinheiro’s visit take place before Nov. 17.