Myanmar, UN envoy say Suu Kyi will soon be freed

Myanmar, UN envoy say Suu Kyi will soon be freed

Aung Hla Tun, Reuters, Yangon

Myanmar's ruling military said on Tuesday that pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi would soon be freed and a UN envoy who
saw her in custody said the Noble laureate was in good health.

"The safe custody measures instituted are temporary and they
will be lifted as soon as the situation returns to normal,"
Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win said in a statement,
referring to Suu Kyi's detention.

United Nations envoy Razali Ismail said Suu Kyi was in good
health and in good spirits, adding that top military leaders had
given assurances she would be freed as soon as possible.

International concern has intensified over the health and
whereabouts of the pro-democracy activist since violence erupted
on May 30 as she was touring a provincial town in the north. The
junta has detained Suu Kyi at undisclosed locations since the
incident.

Razali met Suu Kyi for an hour at the junta's headquarters in
Yangon at the end of a four-day mission to persuade the military
to free her.

"I have been given clear assurances by both Secretary One and
Maung Aye that they will lift the protective custody on her as
soon as possible," Razali said in Singapore hours later.
Secretary One is military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt and Maung
Aye is the powerful army commander.

Speaking earlier to reporters at Yangon airport, Razali said
Suu Kyi had no injuries.

"She's well. She's in very strong spirits. It's the person
that I've always known," the Malaysian diplomat said.

Suu Kyi gave Razali no details on casualties from the clashes
in which her supporters said up to 75 people died. "She did not
see it all. She was in the front car," Razali said.

Myanmar's deputy foreign minister said in the statement that
early findings of the investigation showed the violence had been
sparked when Suu Kyi's convoy tried to plough through a crowd of
bystanders.

It said four people had been killed and 48 injured in the
violence between Suu Kyi's supporters and pro-government groups,
denying reports that dozens had died and hundreds injured.

"Allow me to say categorically that the allegations that the
attack was premeditated are unfounded," the minister said.

The United States, Britain and the European Union said they
were considering more trade and investment sanctions because of
Suu Kyi's treatment.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for Suu Kyi's immediate
release and urged the government to resume dialogue on national
reconciliation, a statement from Annan's spokesman said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad also called for Suu
Kyi's immediate release and said her detention might affect the
10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which
Myanmar belongs.