The government of Thailand, which chairs the 10-nation bloc, said today it had learned of Suu Kyi’s sentence with “deep disappointment.”
Releasing Suu Kyi and other political prisoners, with a view to letting them participate in the ballot, will “contribute to national reconciliation,” Asean said in a statement released in Bangkok. “Only free, fair and inclusive general elections will then pave the way for Myanmar’s full integration into the international community.”
A Myanmar court yesterday found Suu Kyi guilty of breaching a detention order by allowing an American citizen who swam to her lakeside home in May to stay for two days. She was jailed for three years with hard labor, a sentence the military regime immediately commuted to 18 months of house arrest. American John Yettaw was sentenced to prison for seven years with hard labor.
Both intend to appeal their convictions, Agence France- Presse reported today, citing their lawyers in Yangon.
‘Road to Democracy’
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said allowing Suu Kyi to participate in the elections is part of Mynamar’s “road to democracy.”
“The principle of a general election must be done inclusively,” Yudhoyono told reporters in Jakarta today. “The participation of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy is part of the success and credibility of that election.”
The verdict against Suu Kyi, 64, triggered international condemnation of the junta and calls to tighten sanctions against the regime. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has spent more than 13 years in custody since her National League for Democracy won elections in 1990, a result rejected by the junta.
Her latest period of house arrest began in 2003 and was due to expire at the end of May. Opposition groups in Myanmar say the verdict was politically motivated to prevent her from taking part in the elections.
Myanmar is a member of Asean and the bloc has in the past refrained from criticizing the junta. The association said it was ready to “remain constructively engaged” with the country formerly known as Burma.
U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday condemned the verdict, calling it a violation of “universal principles of human rights.”
UN Security Council
The U.S., U.K. and France asked the United Nations Security Council to condemn the sentence. A draft statement submitted by the countries said the junta should “create an atmosphere conducive to an inclusive and credible political and electoral process.”
Council members China, Russia, Libya and Vietnam delayed action by requesting more time to consider the draft.
The European Union said it will tighten sanctions against the junta, while British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the Security Council should impose a worldwide ban on the sale of arms to the regime.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington that it was “premature” to consider UN sanctions against Myanmar.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Yettaw should be freed, along with 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar. He was hospitalized earlier this week after having epileptic seizures, the Associated Press reported.
“We are concerned about the harsh sentence imposed upon him, especially in light of his medical condition,” Clinton told reporters in Goma, during a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The junta has rejected criticism of the trial, saying through state-run media in May that it was an internal matter.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.
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UNSC Meeting on Burma Remains Inconclusive
However, the meeting ended without conclusion because of sharp differences among its members.
Emerging from the closed-door meeting, the Security Council president for the month of August, Ambassador John Sawers from Britain, said the 15-member UN body would meet again on Wednesday.
A draft statement was circulated by the United States among the member countries, which, among other things, condemns the conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi and calls for her immediate release and ability to participate in the political process.
When asked about Russia and China, the two members that have asked for more time to consider the draft statement, Deputy French Ambassador to the UN Jean-Pierre Lacroix said “I mean, everybody pretty much knows the dynamic within the Council, but we are in the midst of a discussion now and, as I said, we will do our best to try and achieve the kind of outcome that we are looking for.
“The draft statement has been circulated by the US delegation. We support that initiative, we support that draft. Some members of the Council have asked for some time to communicate this draft to their capital, and we respect that. But it is our firm position that there has to be a speedy and firm reaction of the Security Council,” he said.
“It has been our longstanding position, but also one of the [UN] secretary-general, that if there is to be an inclusive and fair electoral process in Burma, it cannot be without the participation of all relevant political players, particularly Aung San Suu Kyi. That is why we think there has to be a reaction by the Security Council. The verdict is in clear violation and breach of the request made by the Security Council,” he added.
Talking to reporters, the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said: “We recognize that other members of the Council may take different views on this, and we think it is important nonetheless to have a discussion and a debate and to seek as a matter of principle and policy a statement by the Council in accord with the principles of the Charter and the principles of democracy and respect for human rights that we are committed to.”
Earlier in the day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his deep disappointment over the verdict and deplored the decision.
“The secretary-general urges the [Burmese] government to immediately and unconditionally release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and to engage with her without delay as an essential partner in the process of national dialogue and reconciliation,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson.
“Unless she and all other political prisoners in Myanmar [Burma] are released and allowed to participate in free and fair elections, the credibility of the political process will remain in doubt,” the statement said.
Ban also spoke to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown after Suu Kyi was sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest.
Meanwhile, however, China urged the international community to respect Burma's judicial sovereignty, reacting to the regime's decision to prolong the pro-democracy leader’s house arrest, according to Agence France-Presse news agency.
"The international community should fully respect Myanmar's judicial sovereignty," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.
Meanwhile Malaysia's foreign minister called for an "urgent meeting" of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) after the verdict was announced.
"I think there is a need for Asean foreign ministers to have an urgent meeting to discuss this issue, which is of grave concern," Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said.
"With this sentence there is no possibility for Aung San Suu Kyi to participate in the general election next year which should be free, fair and inclusive," he added.
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