Suu Kyi asks for world's patience: RI<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Myanmar's opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
\nhas asked the international community to be patient with the
\nPrime Minister Gen. Khin Nyut's administration, Minister of
\nForeign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
"She herself said that ASEAN should not push the new
\ngovernment too hard, because in the end it will only hamper the
\nreconciliation and democratization processes," Hassan said.<\/p>\n
He did not explain how he received information that Suu Kyi
\nhad changed her stance in regards her political rival.<\/p>\n
"As a family, we continue to encourage them (Myanmar) to
\ncontinue with the reconciliation process," he said, referring to
\nthe regional grouping, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
\n(ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member.<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders had set a deadline that Myanmar should release
\nSuu Kyi from house arrest before their annual summit in Bali last
\nOctober, but Myanmar replied only that she could not leave her
\nhouse due to her health, not because she was under detention.<\/p>\n
After failing to pressure the Myanmar junta to release Suu Kyi
\nfrom custody, the grouping tried to persuade the military regime
\nand its prime minister, elected in 1990, to return to the
\nnegotiation table.<\/p>\n
Hassan also praised the Myanmar junta for showing more
\nflexibility and openness in facing its opposition, while
\ndeclaring that he expected Myanmar to set a time frame for the
\nreconciliation and democratization processes.<\/p>\n
ASEAN diplomats recently disclosed that the regional grouping
\nhad decided to stop using harsh tactics because the junta had
\nthreatened to revert to a foreign policy of isolation.<\/p>\n
"If Myanmar isolates itself, it will be a backfire for ASEAN,"
\nsaid a senior diplomat on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
Hassan said ASEAN would not choose sanctions as a means to
\nforce Myanmar toward reconciliation.<\/p>\n
"Maintaining its national integrity is a major problem in
\nMyanmar ... it is pluralistic country with so many ethnic groups.
\nWe (ASEAN) are aware of the condition," he said.<\/p>\n
The minister expressed his confidence that the junta would
\ninvolve Suu Kyi in the country's ongoing reconciliation process,
\nas was also stated by ASEAN in Bangkok in December, when it met
\nwith Myanmar on the sidelines of a 12-nation democratic talks and
\nencouraged the acceleration of democratic reform in the country.<\/p>\n
AFP reported at that time that Myanmar Foreign Minister Win
\nAung said the regime would hold a national convention to draft a
\nnew constitution in 2004 as a first step in the road map toward
\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
Suu Kyi has been placed under house arrest by the military
\ngovernment three times since 1988 for her pro-democracy,
\nopposition stance. Although her National League for Democracy won
\nan overwhelming victory in the military-sponsored general
\nelection in 1990, the junta refused to hand over its power to the
\ndaughter of Myanmar's founding father, Gen. Aung San.<\/p>",
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