Myanmar sends vague message over Suu Kyi

The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Myanmar, in a clearly face-saving tactic to appease the other nine members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), sent a vague message over the detention status of Myanmar's pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

During the ASEAN foreign ministerial meeting here on Sunday, Myanmarese foreign minister U Win Aung told his counterparts that his government was no longer holding Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar's founding father Aung San, under house arrest -- although she was staying home after her release from hospital last month.

"The Myanmar government said ... Aung San Suu Kyi ... has been allowed to go home after being discharged from hospital," Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said after presiding over the meeting.

"The Myanmar government did not categorize the stay of Madame Suu Kyi at her house as house arrest or detention," he said.

Hassan said the ASEAN ministers considered the frankness of Win Aung in discussing the situation in his country as a positive action.

"The issue is not on the agenda of the meeting, but as a family, we are discussing the problem with the Myanmar government and we will prepare a strategy to explain the situation to the dialog partner countries," he underlined.

The Myanmar issue is major test for the solidarity among ASEAN member countries and the commitment of the regional grouping in the region's democratization.

After attending the ASEAN annual meeting in Phnom Penh last year, Win Aung had warned the international community not to pressure his country too hard, because a country that was used to being isolated from the world could simply isolate itself again. An Indonesian minister acknowledged that Myanmar could no longer be pressured further, because the junta was ready to face the worst sanction from international community.

ASEAN has been trying to apply silent diplomacy in persuading Myanmar to release the opposition leader before the coming ASEAN summit on Tuesday.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri had earlier stated that Indonesia would like to see a definite timeframe for the release of Suu Kyi and the ongoing democratization process in that country.

Meanwhile, Singapore Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar said the Myanmar issue would not affect the meeting, as there were more pressing items on the agenda.

"We have more important issues at this Summit, and Myanmar will not overshadow the Summit," he said before the meeting.

ASEAN leaders will commence their two-day summit on Tuesday, inclusive of dialog partners China, Japan, South Korea and India.