Pressioni crescenti sulla
giunta militare dopo che i Ministri degli Esteri dell’Asia e dell’Europa, in un
comunicato congiunto, ai margini del meeting ASEM di Hanoi, hanno rinnovato la propria
richiesta per il rilascio della leader dell’opposizione democratica in Birmania
Aung San Suu Kyi e degli altri prigionieri politici. Riportiamo la notizia
tratta da Bangkok Post e AFP.
BANGKOK
POST e AFP - More pressure is being piled on Burma as Asian and
European foreign ministers renew their calls for the release of opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
A joint press statement, issued at the end of the Asia-Europe Meeting
(Asem) in Hanoi yesterday, called for the early release of all political
detainees in Burma, including Mrs Suu Kyi, and the lifting of all restrictions
placed on political parties.
The call came as the National
League for Democracy (NLD) leader yesterday testified in a Rangoon court for
the first time in answer to charges she violated the terms of her house arrest.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday defended the statement,
saying it was endorsed by senior Asean officials and Asean foreign ministers.
The position was supported by former Thai ambassador to Burma Poksak
Nilubol.
“We are justified in expressing concern because as an immediate
neighbour we are affected by the spillover of Burmese domestic political
turbulence, as well as other side effects,” he said.
The
Asean Inter-Parliamentary Burma Caucus yesterday called on Asean to suspend
Burma’s membership if its military regime continued to detain Mrs Suu Kyi. It
also urged Asean members to consider imposing targeted sanctions against Burma.
But
Mr Kasit said suspending Burma’s membership would be a setback.
“What
Asean has done is not to protect Burma but to encourage Burma to become a
responsible member of Asean and the international community,” the foreign
minister said.
Previous
sanctions only affected the impoverished Burmese people, he said.
Mrs Suu Kyi said at her trial at Insein Prison yesterday she did not
violate the terms of her house arrest by offering “temporary shelter” to John
Yettaw, the US man who swam to her lakeside home.
The
statement also urged the Burmese government to hold multi-party elections next
year in a free and fair manner.
Burma
dominated the two-day Asem meeting with its Foreign Minister Nyan Win being
criticised by his counterparts from the European Union, a source at the meeting
said.
The
source quoted the EU ministers as saying statements from the international
community did not constitute interference in Burma’s internal affairs.
The
Burmese minister countered that Mrs Suu Kyi’s trial was, indeed, an internal
matter. “Burma is at the turning point of democracy and doesn’t want this
process interrupted,” the source quoted Nyan Win as telling the meeting.
The
Burma issue will be tabled for discussion today by Asean foreign ministers in
Phnom Penh ahead of the AseanEU meeting there, according to Foreign Minister
Kasit Piromya.
Burma
was upset by Thailand’s call as Asean chair for it to release the NLD leader
immediately, and also by the warnings to the junta that its credibility would
be shattered if it continued to hold Mrs Suu Kyi in detention.
Prime
Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday defended the statement, saying it was
endorsed by senior Asean officials and Asean foreign ministers.
The position was supported by
former Thai ambassador to Burma Poksak Nilubol.
"We are justified in
expressing concern because as an immediate neighbour we are affected by the
spillover of Burmese domestic political turbulence, as well as other side effects,"
he said.
The Asean
Inter-Parliamentary Burma Caucus yesterday called on Asean to suspend Burma's
membership if its military regime continued to detain Mrs Suu Kyi. It also
urged Asean members to consider imposing targeted sanctions against Burma.
But Mr Kasit said suspending
Burma's membership would be a setback.
"What Asean has done is not to
protect Burma but to encourage Burma to become a responsible member of Asean
and the international community," the foreign minister said.
Previous sanctions only
affected the impoverished Burmese people, he said.
Mrs Suu Kyi said at her trial
at Insein Prison yesterday she did not violate the terms of her house arrest by
offering "temporary shelter" to John Yettaw, the US man who swam to
her lakeside home.