Philippines urges Myanmar to grant ASEAN envoy access to Aung San Suu Kyi
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Ms Aung San Suu Kyi has been in detention since her elected government was toppled in a 2021 coup.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MANILA – The Philippines on May 6 called on Myanmar to allow ASEAN’s special envoy to meet detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, pressing for greater transparency after the authorities allowed her to serve the remainder of her sentence under house arrest.
“We view these developments as vital steps in a sequence of confidence-building measures necessary for long-term national stability in Myanmar,” said the Philippines, which is serving as chair of ASEAN in 2026, in a statement.
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Myanmar should allow Ms Suu Kyi to communicate with her family to “demonstrate genuine commitment to national reconciliation”.
Access for ASEAN’s special envoy would support engagement with all stakeholders and advance inclusive national dialogue, it said.
The Philippines also said the developments should be used to build momentum for political dialogue and reconciliation in Myanmar under the ASEAN peace framework known as the Five-Point Consensus.
Ms Suu Kyi has been in detention since her elected government was toppled in a 2021 coup.
She has been serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of multiple offences based on charges that her allies said were politically motivated.
Her sentence was commuted by one-sixth as part of an amnesty in April for thousands of prisoners, which also saw the release of her ally, former president Win Myint. REUTERS
