Southeast Asian nations urge Myanmar not to renew Suu Kyi's detention

A picture of Myanmar's detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi hangs on the wall of the opposition party National League of Democracy headquarters in Yangon. The United States on Tuesday urged military-run Myanmar to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners ahead of the junta's review of her detention this week. (AFP)

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Associated Press

"Authoritarian members, like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, have adopted a friendlier attitude and have refused to engage in stinging criticism of Myanmar."

MANILA, Philippines: Southeast Asian nations appealed to Myanmar on Tuesday not to renew pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's detention — a demand that has sparked discord in their regional bloc.

Suu Kyi has been held continuously by Myanmar's ruling junta since 2003. A detention order for her expires Sunday, but the junta is expected to renew it.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has given a face to the junta's years-long political repression that has been condemned by Western nations, along with Myanmar's fellow member countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.

"It's a consensus that we want to see her early release," Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio said. "We'd like to see the lifting of the order."

Basilio led a meeting of senior ASEAN diplomats to prepare the agenda for an annual meeting of the 10-country bloc's foreign ministers in Manila in July. The Philippines will also host a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia's largest security forum, in August.

Myanmar's delegate, Aung Bwa, said he was unaware if his government would extend Suu Kyi's detention. "Let's wait and see," he said.

Imron Cotan, who led Indonesia's delegation, expressed impatience at Myanmar's slow pace of democratization. "We have made these calls repeatedly, and Myanmar has found it difficult to respond," he said.

In Bangkok, visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill urged the junta in Myanmar, also called Burma, to free Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

"The continued incarceration or house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi is one of several issues that's posing a real blockage in terms of Burma being able to rejoin the international community," Hill told reporters after his meeting with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram.

Last week U.S. President George W. Bush told the American Congress that he intended to continue U.S. economic and political sanctions against Myanmar.

Calls for Myanmar to rapidly fulfill a pledge to democratize have become a familiar refrain in ASEAN's annual meetings, and its spotty human rights record is again expected to be a key issue at the Manila meetings.

Although bound by an ASEAN edict not to interfere in each other's affairs, some members, like Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, have become more blunt in their criticism, urging Myanmar to show tangible progres toward its promised democratization.

Authoritarian members, like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, have adopted a friendlier attitude and have refused to engage in stinging criticism of Myanmar.

Asked if Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is visiting Myanmar, would take up Suu Kyi's detention with the junta, Cambodian diplomat Kao Kim Hourn did not answer clearly.

"In such a high-level meeting, anything is possible," he said.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962, and the currently ruling generals took power in 1988. They called elections in 1990, but refused to recognize the results when Suu Kyi's party won a resounding victory.

Myanmar should have held ASEAN's rotating chairmanship and hosted the regional summit this year, but it gave up the chance amid protests by Western governments.

The prestigious chairmanship, rotated alphabetically among all members, was abruptly passed on to the Philippines.