Indonesia Wants Suu Kyi Involved
Thursday, 28 February, 2008 | 13:05 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Hassan Wirajuda, Foreign Affairs Minister, yesterday (27/2) stated that Indonesia wants democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi to be involved in the Burmese political process.

This nation, which is led by a military junta, is now busy preparing for a constitutional referendum in May this year and general election in 2010.

Burma, said Hassan, is a member of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) family.

“We view the importance of ASEAN, or at the very least Indonesia, to be involved in Burma's process so that we can make sure that the processes they perform can result in a solution acceptable to the international community,” he said.

“This is why we are concerned over making the process in Burma more reliable, which means making the process more transparent by permitting the participation of many groups, including Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD (the National League for Democracy, her party), and minority groups, in the upcoming process,” said Wirajuda.

Burmese Foreign Affairs Minister, Nyan Win, last week assured his fellow ministers in Southeast Asia that the new constitution would prohibit Suu Kyi from being involved in the general election as she was married to a foreigner.

The Burmese military junta is now busy preparing for the referendum.

Yesterday (27/2) it announced having established a referendum watch commission, made up of 45 members and led by Supreme Court Chairperson Aung Toe.

The government is also threatening to put in prison anyone who delivers a speech in public spaces or spreads pamphlet about referendum.

The junta has issued a Constitutional Referendum Decree under which citizens older than 18 years have voting rights, except for Buddhist monks and other religious leaders.

AFP | AP | IWANK