Philippines demands release of Suu Kyi

Philippines demands release of Suu Kyi

Agencies, Manila/Bangkok

The Philippines demanded on Wednesday that the Myanmar's ruling junta release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Foreign Secretary Blas Ople said he told Myanmar's visiting deputy foreign minister U Khin Maung Wing that Manila expects his government to put in place "sincere measures at democratic reforms" and free Suu Kyi from detention.

"I told Special Envoy Maung Wing that it is the strong desire of the Philippine government to see Daw Suu Kyi and the members of the National League for Democracy released and allowed to pursue their political activities," Ople said in a statement.

Maung Win had given a briefing on developments concerning the Nobel laureate, but could not give a specific date of her release, Ople said.

"I was a little disappointed that no decision has yet been taken by Myanmar on the issue," Ople said.

He said the Philippine also supported a proposal by Indonesia for foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be allowed to visit Myanmar.

"In this way, we could not only meet Daw Suu Kyi but we could also reassure the leadership and people of Myanmar that ASEAN respects Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

In a separate development, Amnesty International said in Bangkok on Wednesday rights abuses in military-ruled Myanmar have risen sharply since the junta detained pro-democracy icon Suu Kyi on May 30,

Amnesty, denouncing what it called a culture of impunity, said the ruling generals had taken no action against a pro-junta group that attacked Suu Kyi's supporters with clubs on May 30 when she was touring a town in central Myanmar.

"The violent attacks on that day, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of an unknown number of people...and the arrests of scores of political activists, have strengthened the culture of impunity in Myanmar," Amnesty said in a report.

The group said at least 10 people died in the attack.

It said Myanmar authorities immediately detained 64 supporters of the Nobel laureate, put 53 in "temporary custody" in following days and put eight senior leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party under de facto house arrest.

Amnesty said 53 pro-democracy activists had "disappeared" since May 30.

The Myanmar government blames Suu Kyi for provoking the May clash and says four people died. The junta said last week it had freed 96 people it detained but was still holding 40, all but one of whom were NLD members.

Amnesty urged the Myanmar junta to allow an independent investigation into the clash and punish those responsible.

"No progress can be made on the protection of human rights in Myanmar until the SPDC hold accountable those found responsible for the May 30 events and its aftermath," the group said, referring to the junta by its official name, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

International pressure has mounted in recent weeks on the junta to free Suu Kyi, with Washington imposing new sanctions, key donor Japan cutting off new aid and Myanmar's Southeast Asian neighbors delivering an unprecedented public rebuke.

Suu Kyi has spent much of the past decade under house arrest. Her NLD swept to an election victory in 1990 but was never handed power by the military, which has ruled since a 1962 coup.

Amnesty said there were over 1,300 political prisoners locked up in Myanmar, including those arrested on or after May 30.