Indonesia nudges Myanmar on Suu Kyi, Thais on Muslims

Indonesia nudges Myanmar on Suu Kyi, Thais on Muslims

Telly Nathalia, Reuters/Jakarta

Indonesia accused fellow ASEAN member Myanmar on Friday of dodging the issue of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's detention and said there was a gap between official junta statements and reality.

Myanmar was asked at a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos earlier this week to clarify media reports it had extended opposition leader Suu Kyi's house arrest for another year, Indonesia's foreign ministry said.

"The matter was asked, clarification requested, but still there was no explicit answer," ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa told a news briefing.

"There was no explicit answer that confirms the extension of the detention, except for the explanations or reasons why Myanmar's government decided to detain Aung San Syu Kyi that we have heard before."

Myanmar's fellow ASEAN members have urged Yangon to release Suu Kyi, 59, the 1991 Nobel peace prize winner, whose continued detention has proved an embarrassment to the forum in its dealings with Europe and the United States.

ASEAN, which consists of Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, has a long-held policy of not interfering in its members' internal affairs.

Washington, which has condemned Syu Kyi's detention and imposed sanctions on Myanmar, has said it will have to think about whether to deal with ASEAN at a senior level when Myanmar chairs the group in 2006.

Despite mounting international pressure, Myanmar has refused to budge, instead issuing assurances it is committed to moving towards democracy at its own pace.

"Seeing the reality, it is difficult for us to conclude there is consistency between what they say and the reality in Myanmar," said Marty.

Suu Kyi has spent most of the past 15 years confined to her home in Yangon, with no phone and requiring official permission to have visitors.

Her National League for Democracy, which won 1990 elections, the results of which were ignored by the military, said this week that Myanmar's rulers had informed its leaders they would extend Suu Kyi's isolation until at least Nov. 27 next year.

Marty also said a Muslim insurgency in the south of Thailand near the border with Malaysia was an issue for which Bangkok should seek help through ASEAN.

"They do not want this issue to be internationalized through the ASEAN forum," he said. "Indonesia encourages Thailand to bring the issue to ... ASEAN. The result will be more positive."