MPs seek changes in Myanmar

MPs seek changes in Myanmar

MALAYSIA: Malaysian parliamentarians launched an unusual cross- party committee on Tuesday to push for democracy in Myanmar, calling on the country's junta to immediately release all political detainees.

The caucus of government and opposition MPs and senators, in a rare instance of cooperation, appealed for free and fair elections in the country.

"The caucus also calls upon the Myanmar government to respect ASEAN and international opinion and return to the mainstream of responsible international norms and behavior," a caucus statement said.

Myanmar's entry into the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997 has been a diplomatic headache for the grouping, riling relations with European countries in particular. --Reuters