The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considering a collective appeal for the freedom of Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said Thailand’s Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya and his Singapore counterpart George Yeo. She is now serving a new term of house arrest in Yangon after the Myanmar junta revised her sentence for “violating” the terms of her previous house arrest.
Thailand chairs the 10-member regional bloc, which includes Myanmar.
Two other members, Indonesia and Malaysia, were also in favour of this move, said Mr. Kasit, emphasising that the plan was to send a letter of “appeal” to the junta “within this week.” Efforts were on to get the signatures of as many members as possible, given the sensitivity concerning the “internal affairs” of a member-state.
Sources close to Ms. Suu Kyi in Yangon said as John Yettaw was “deported” without his sentence being set aside, her lawyers would press ahead with plans to move higher courts for a revocation of the trial judges’ verdict against her.