Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) urged the country's military rulers yesterday to release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and three other leaders before inviting it to join renewed talks on a new constitution.
The call followed remarks by Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung, who said the NLD would be invited to join a constitutional conference on May 17. The NLD won general elections in 1990 but the military junta refused to hand over power.
"We have not decided on what to do about the national convention, but we need all our leaders free first," NLD central executive committee member Soe Myint said.
"Only then we will discuss this matter among ourselves and then make a final decision," he said.
Suu Kyi and three other NLD executives, who are still under house arrest, were detained last May when opposition supporters clashed with government backers.
The three are NLD chairman Aung Shwe, deputy chairman Tin Oo and U Lwin, the party's secretary. Suu Kyi has spent nine of the past 13 years under house arrest.
The military government, under pressure to show it is sincere about its "road map to democracy" announced last August, set the date for the constitutional meeting last week, but it made no mention of Suu Kyi.
Last week, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the US and human rights groups called on the junta to allow Suu Kyi and her party to participate in drawing up a new constitution for the country, ruled by the military since 1962.
On Saturday, Win Aung told his Thai counterpart in Bangkok on a stopover from Seoul to Yangon, "The National Convention will have the NLD's participation and they will join in the constitution-drafting process," a Thai spokesman said.
The National Convention first met in 1993 but was suspended in 1996 after the NLD walked out, accusing the military of manipulating the process to stay in power.
Win Aung initially said after he arrived in Bangkok on Saturday that Suu Kyi would be freed from arrest before the meeting gets under way on May 17. But he later backtracked, saying his government was focused on preparing for the conference.
"That is the most important thing, and the problem of Aung San Suu Kyi will be taken care of, and we don't have any animosity or any vengeful acts against anyone," Win Aung said.
There has been speculation Suu Kyi may be freed in mid-April following a visit to Yangon last month by UN special envoy Razali Ismail, who said Myanmar Prime Minister Khin Nyunt was committed to taking his country to democracy and Suu Kyi was ready to work with him.
But the NLD was not convinced of the release.
"It is not the first time they said this," said Soe Myint. "We will believe it only when it really takes place."
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