By: THANIDA TANSUBHAPOL AND AGENCIES
Three Asean members - Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia - have raised concerns about Burma's move to lodge new charges against detained Aung San Suu Kyi, and called for her release.
Burma, itself a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has lodged fresh charges against the Burmese democracy icon, stemming from an incident in which an American swam across a lake to stay at her house.
The move by the three countries is seen as unusual. By convention, Asean members do not intervene in each other's internal affairs.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday all countries were concerned about the credibility of any Burmese probe into the US man's action.
"What we would like to know is what the truth is, what the intent of that US man is, how could he pass the security guards surrounding Mrs Suu Kyi's house, who is behind this and is there some sort of conspiracy?" Mr Kasit said.
"I don't know. But I think the facts should be told to the public."
Not everyone agrees with Mr Kasit. See related story Thailand too quiet on Burma.
Mrs Suu Kyi and her two maids will go before the court on Monday.
Mr Kasit hoped the process would be transparent and Mrs Suu Kyi's period for detention would not be extended further.
"We would like to see Mrs Suu Kyi and political prisoners released, as reflected in the Asean chairman's statement at the 14th Asean summit in Cha-am last March," he said.
Mrs Suu Kyi is facing five years in jail on charges of breaching the terms of her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which a US man swam to her off-limits lakeside house in Rangoon.
The incident came just a few days before the expiry of her most recent six-year detention order om May 27.
She faces a new trial on Monday, and the jail term if convicted of the new charges would keep her behind bars past an election due next year.
The elections are part of a so-called "roadmap" to restore democracy that the country's ruling junta has pledged to adopt.
International critics have said the process will be a sham if she and her party are excluded.
Thailand is rotating chairman of Asean.
Mr Kasit said Thai ambassador to Rangoon Bansarn Bunnag has been assigned to consult other Asean ambassadors based in Burma about the Asean position.
The US embassy in Bangkok has also contacted the Thai government and told it that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would call the Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan or Mr Kasit about the situation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday expressed concern about the health of Mrs Suu Kyi and the country's long-delayed "roadmap" to democracy.
Mr Abhisit said the 10-nation bloc had been urging Burma to adopt an inclusive political process.
"Clearly her health condition is of concern, and that should be a concern for everybody," he said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Singapore said yesterday it was dismayed after Burma lodged new charges against Mrs Suu Kyi.
"We reiterate the call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from detention. We are also concerned about recent reports on her poor health," said the Singapore foreign ministry.
Indonesia also urged Burma to release Mrs Suu Kyi and drop the new "arbitrary" charges against her.
"The Indonesian government is very concerned about the arbitrary detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and we are hoping for a legal process so we know the basis for her detention," foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said."The charges against her are not appropriate."
Source: Bangkok Post
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