Philippines welcomes Suu Kyi's release

Philippines has welcomed the release of the Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, 56, from 19 months of house arrest yesterday.

"I am glad that she was released because that would mean Myanmar will be a full-fledged democracy," Philippines Vice President and Foreign Secretary Teofisto Guingona told reporters, upon receiving word that she had returned to her National League for Democracy (NLD) party's headquarters.

"(Aung San) Suu Kyi is the international symbol of human rights and democracy. The Philippines welcomes the release and sees it as part of continuing engagement of Myanmar in democratic politics," said President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman Silvestre Afable.

Foreign Undersecretary Lauro Baja said he hoped the release would normalise relations between Asean and the European Union (EU).

"This will also mean that Myanmar's membership in Asia-Europe Meetings (ASEM) will be hastened.

This is good for Cambodia and Laos as well because their membership rely on Myanmar. They come in a package," Baja told reporters.