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Rice urges Asean to push Myanmar to reform
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Southeast Asian nations on Wednesday to put more pressure on Myanmar's junta to improve human rights and adopt democratic reforms.
- Agencies
- Published: 14:24 July 23, 2008
Singapore: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Southeast Asian nations on Wednesday to put more pressure on Myanmar's junta to improve human rights and adopt democratic reforms.
Speaking after meeting foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations, Rice said Asean needs to push Myanmar to release political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We believe that Asean has an important role to play in addressing the root cause of Burma's grave problems – the repression of Burma's democracy movement," Rice said.
Asean foreign ministers, frustrated after years of fruitless overtures to Myanmar to reform, expressed "deep disappointment" in a statement on Sunday that the ruling generals had extended Suu Kyi's house arrest.
They called for her release and that of other political detainees "as part of Myanmar's National Reconciliation process". That was the first time Asean had ever specifically mentioned Suu Kyi in one of its communiques, diplomats said.
Rice said the best way for Asean to become stronger was to expand democracy and the rule of law among its members.
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