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."