Burma can no longer afford to ignore appeals from its south-east Asian neighbours for the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the United Nations special envoy to the country said. "I don't see how Myanmar (Burma) can turn a deaf ear to the appeal of the ASEAN countries," Razali Ismail said after meeting Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, who chairs the 10-member regional grouping which includes Myanmar. Mr Razali says he met for one hour with Mr Wirayuda to learn about the steps being considered by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to deal with the issues of national reconciliation and democracy in Burma. "It was a very helpful discussion over breakfast. As I understand it, all things are being considered," he said.
| "We're working on the paperwork now..." |
"My purpose here... is to underline how seriously the UN looks at the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi."
| ... he said, wrinkling his noble brow. |
ASEAN foreign ministers meeting this month called for Aung San Suu Kyi's release, breaking a decades-old convention of non-interference in members' internal affairs. Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa says Mr Wirayuda briefed Mr Razali on discussions held at this month's ASEAN annual ministerial meetings in Phnom Penh. At that meeting the foreign ministers discussed sending an ASEAN team to Burma in an attempt to meet directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. However Mr Natalegawa says Burma's foreign minister must deliver that proposal to his government. "To date we have not heard from them," he said.
| "They're ignoring us. I wonder if they got our note?" |
Mr Razali says he will return to Malaysia on Sunday before going on to the United Nations. On Wednesday Mr Razali told Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi that Aung San Suu Kyi was being detained in poor surroundings at a Yangon prison when he was allowed to meet her on June 10. |