Philippines demands release of Suu Kyi<\/p>\n
Agencies, Manila\/Bangkok<\/p>\n
The Philippines demanded on Wednesday that the Myanmar's ruling
\njunta release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said he told Myanmar's visiting
\ndeputy foreign minister U Khin Maung Wing that Manila expects his
\ngovernment to put in place \"sincere measures at democratic
\nreforms\" and free Suu Kyi from detention.<\/p>\n
\"I told Special Envoy Maung Wing that it is the strong desire
\nof the Philippine government to see Daw Suu Kyi and the members
\nof the National League for Democracy released and allowed to
\npursue their political activities,\" Ople said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Maung Win had given a briefing on developments concerning the
\nNobel laureate, but could not give a specific date of her
\nrelease, Ople said.<\/p>\n
\"I was a little disappointed that no decision has yet been
\ntaken by Myanmar on the issue,\" Ople said.<\/p>\n
He said the Philippine also supported a proposal by Indonesia
\nfor foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) to be allowed to visit Myanmar.<\/p>\n
\"In this way, we could not only meet Daw Suu Kyi but we could
\nalso reassure the leadership and people of Myanmar that ASEAN
\nrespects Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In a separate development, Amnesty International said in
\nBangkok on Wednesday rights abuses in military-ruled Myanmar have
\nrisen sharply since the junta detained pro-democracy icon Suu Kyi
\non May 30,<\/p>\n
Amnesty, denouncing what it called a culture of impunity, said
\nthe ruling generals had taken no action against a pro-junta group
\nthat attacked Suu Kyi's supporters with clubs on May 30 when she
\nwas touring a town in central Myanmar.<\/p>\n
\"The violent attacks on that day, which resulted in the deaths
\nand injuries of an unknown number of people...and the arrests of
\nscores of political activists, have strengthened the culture of
\nimpunity in Myanmar,\" Amnesty said in a report.<\/p>\n
The group said at least 10 people died in the attack.<\/p>\n
It said Myanmar authorities immediately detained 64 supporters
\nof the Nobel laureate, put 53 in \"temporary custody\" in following
\ndays and put eight senior leaders of her National League for
\nDemocracy (NLD) party under de facto house arrest.<\/p>\n
Amnesty said 53 pro-democracy activists had \"disappeared\"
\nsince May 30.<\/p>\n
The Myanmar government blames Suu Kyi for provoking the May
\nclash and says four people died. The junta said last week it had
\nfreed 96 people it detained but was still holding 40, all but one
\nof whom were NLD members.<\/p>\n
Amnesty urged the Myanmar junta to allow an independent
\ninvestigation into the clash and punish those responsible.<\/p>\n
\"No progress can be made on the protection of human rights in
\nMyanmar until the SPDC hold accountable those found responsible
\nfor the May 30 events and its aftermath,\" the group said,
\nreferring to the junta by its official name, the State Peace and
\nDevelopment Council (SPDC).<\/p>\n
International pressure has mounted in recent weeks on the
\njunta to free Suu Kyi, with Washington imposing new sanctions,
\nkey donor Japan cutting off new aid and Myanmar's Southeast Asian
\nneighbors delivering an unprecedented public rebuke.<\/p>\n
Suu Kyi has spent much of the past decade under house arrest.
\nHer NLD swept to an election victory in 1990 but was never handed
\npower by the military, which has ruled since a 1962 coup.<\/p>\n
Amnesty said there were over 1,300 political prisoners locked
\nup in Myanmar, including those arrested on or after May 30.<\/p>",
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