Thai Foreign Minister met Suu Kyi in Myanmar prison
Bangkok, Jul 12 (EFE).- Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai met ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the prison where she is serving her sentence in the capital of Myanmar, local media reported Wednesday.
The meeting took place Sunday in Naypyidaw and is the first acquaintance of a representative of a foreign government with the deposed State Councilor and de facto leader of the democratic government, removed from power in February 2021 in a military coup, The Irrawaddy reported.
The military previously denied visits by the team of lawyers representing Suu Kyi, in dozens of cases filed after the uprising, and has not allowed access to the rapporteur sent by the United Nations.
The foreign minister of Thailand, a country close to the Myanmar military regime, made the unannounced trip before attending this week’s meeting of heads of diplomacy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Jakarta.
During the meeting of the regional bloc, Don told his counterparts of the recent trip and added that the leader is “in good health,” according to Japanese news agency Kyodo.
Since the uprising, Myanmar has sentenced Suu Kyi to 33 years in prison for multiple crimes, including corruption, violating laws against the pandemic or violating the official secrets law, among others – charges the leader’s representatives describe as fabricated.
The instability in Myanmar, a country plunged into a deep crisis as a result of the military uprising, is one of the central issues of the ASEAN ministerial meeting, which began Tuesday and runs until Friday.
The countries of the bloc have been divided on how to approach the conflict in Myanmar, one of the 10 partners and whose military representatives have been banned from attending.
ASEAN says it trusts the road map agreed in April 2021 between the leaders of the bloc and the head of the military junta, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, with five points of consensus, including the end of violence against civilians and an inclusive dialogue, among others.
However, little progress has since been made to fulfill the pact and, contrary to its intent, the strife has intensified and spread throughout the country.
At least 3,780 people have died from the violent repression carried out by the security forces and more than 19,400 remain in detention, according to data from the Myanmar NGO Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners.
Founded in 1967, ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar and has established a roadmap for the inclusion of East Timor. EFE
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