BANGKOK (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar's military government Tuesday to release political prisoners before upcoming elections, saying "it is not too late" to make the polls more fair and inclusive.
Myanmar's Nov. 7 elections will be the country's first in 20 years. The polls have widely been denounced as rigged to ensure that pro-military candidates will dominate. The country's leading opposition figure, Aung San Suu Kyi, is unable to seek office and remains detained, along with about 2,100 other political prisoners.
"We'll be expecting that this election will be a fair one, a credible one and an inclusive one," Ban told reporters in Bangkok at the start of a four-country Asian tour. "In that regard, it is not too late, even now, that by releasing the political detainees, they can make this election more inclusive and participatory."
The junta has ignored past U.N. demands to free political prisoners. Suu Kyi has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years.
"I do expect and hope this election to be an inclusive and transparent one," Ban said. "This will be a test of Myanmar's government, how they will be able to meet expectations of the international community."
The U.N. chief spoke after meeting with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in Bangkok. He flew later Tuesday to Cambodia. He was schdueled to attend a weekend summit of Asian leaders in Vietnam, followed by a trip to China.
Ban said he was looking forward to having "a very constructive dialogue" with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein during a bilateral meeting at the summit in Hanoi.
About 1,000 police were mobilized in Bangkok for Ban's visit to prevent anti-government protesters who had threatened to mobilize. A small group protested outside the U.N. office but the rally was peaceful.
Thailand's army chief, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, warned so-called Red Shirt protesters who staged paralyzing protests earlier this year that rallies were "absolutely prohibited" during Ban's visit to avoid "embarrassing" Thailand.
At least 91 people died and 1,400 were injured in violence connected to protests that lasted from March through May, staged by Red Shirt protesters demanding Abhisit call early elections. The protesters blockaded Bangkok's commercial heart for weeks before the army moved in to clear the streets. Most of the casualties were protesters.
Human Rights Watch issued a statement urging Ban to use his Asian tour "to publicly address pressing human rights issues in the region."
2 comments:
LONG LIVE VEIT NAM.. You all should wishes that you never born and if you born next born as vietnamese so you be smarter...
Hun sen and CPP doing a good job for US... the master.. and Phay siphan providing a good lip services and SOK Siphana and Sarin Donora are working hard to manipulate all the foerigners there for us.. the rest of our vietnamese brother and sisters are all in every officials position in the cambodian government.
Long live Viet Nam
soon we will take thailand too
You all khmer wishes you never born.. next time make sure you born as a vietnamses maybe you a little smarter
you all useless khmer peoples have no more chance.. we vietnam controle your idiot king... HUN SEN and all the family and CPP.. we have our citizen in every level of your government.. basically we run you whole country for you.. becuase you khmer are useless and stupid and idiot.. if you dont believe ask you parent..
look you country now.. it is the fact you wishes you never born.. next time you better born as vietnamese.. Long live viet nam.. soon we will control even thailand the land of gay and lesbian they dont care they only make love .. so it will be more easy..
we want to thank hun sen and cpp ... personal that to phay siphan for his lip services and sok siphana the brother inlaw to the rapist young girls minister of information and Sarin Denora for their manipulation to all the idiot foreigners in cambodian .. we will reward you and we will keep you in power...
Khmer people must proptest all over the country to keep him out of power,and kill him like Saddam Hussein.If ah Hun Sen and his clans are dead, Khmer people will be free and peace. Khmer people want you to be dead soon.
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