Southeast Asian nations expressed "revulsion" to Myanmar's foreign minister at the violent repression of demonstrations and strongly urged the military government "to exercise utmost restraint and seek a political solution."
A statement issued on Thursday after a foreign ministers meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations said the ministers "were appalled to receive reports of automatic weapons being used and demanded that the Myanmar government immediately desist from the use of violence against demonstrators."
The meeting of the 10-nation bloc, known as ASEAN, was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's ministerial meeting. It took place as the UN special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, was flying to Bangkok at UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's request to try to promote a political solution to the Myanmar crisis.
Myanmar is an ASEAN member, along with Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Gambari left for Bangkok on Wednesday night not knowing whether Myanmar's government would grant him a visa. UN deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe announced early on Thursday afternoon that Ban had been informed by Myanmar's Foreign Minister Nyan Win that Gambari "will be welcomed by the Myanmar government."
The secretary-general said later he was pleased that Myanmar agreed to the visit and called on the government "to engage in a constructive dialogue" with Gambari "and to commit to a path of peaceful and inclusive national reconciliation," UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said.
The ASEAN foreign ministers said Win also assured them Gambari would be issued a visa and they urged Myanmar's government "to grant him full access to all parties ... as they had done in the past." Gambari has held two meetings with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest.
In the statement issued by the ASEAN chair, Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo, the ministers called for the release of all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi.
"They expressed their revulsion to Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win over reports that the demonstrations in Myanmar are being suppressed by violent force and that there has been a number of fatalities," the statement said.
"They strongly urged Myanmar to exercise utmost restraint and seek a political solution," it said. "They called upon Myanmar to resume its efforts at national reconciliation with all parties concerned, and work towards a peaceful transition to democracy."
The foreign ministers expressed concern to Myanmar's Win "that the developments in Myanmar had a serious impact on the reputation and credibility of ASEAN."
Myanmar's junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide election victory. Since then, Suu Kyi has been in and out of detention, kept in near-solitary confinement at her home.
The current protests began Aug. 19 after the government hiked fuel prices in one of Asia's poorest countries. But they are based in deep-rooted dissatisfaction with the repressive military rule that has gripped the country since 1962. The protests were faltering when Buddhist monks took the lead last week.
The ASEAN foreign ministers later met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who praised their "very good statement."
"The United States has determined to keep an international focus on the travesty in Burma," Rice said.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said ASEAN is very important and the statement is "a tough declaration."
"It certainly has to be noticed and certainly underlined because they are, the ASEAN countries, the only one able to make efficient pressure on Myanmar," Kouchner said. "If it has been done, this is a success for democracy, and this is a success for demonstrators in Myanmar."
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