News Suu Kyi holds talks with foreign envoys after release from house arrest

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Nobel peace laureate and Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released May 6 after 19 months under house arrest.

It was a small victory for the opposition, which has a long way to go before it can see the military regime give up power to an elected civilian government.

However, her release and the junta's promise of greater political freedom — made in a statement to the foreign media — were blacked out in the state-controlled media.

The 56-year-old leader held talks on May 7 with European Union and U.S. diplomats as well as leaders from her own National League for Democracy.

The European Union and the United States are among the main backers of Suu Kyi, criticizing the junta for its suppression of democracy and human rights.

Sanctions have been imposed on Myanmar in a bid to force political change, a policy that has been endorsed by her.

Some observers say that the junta freed Suu Kyi in a bid to have the sanctions lifted. So far Suu Kyi has not indicated that she will change her policy.

Others say the junta may be coming around to accepting political change, cajoled by its Asian neighbors, especially Malaysia.

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy movement. It annulled the results of the 1990 general elections in which Suu Kyi's party won. She was put under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and again in September 2000 until May 6.

But with U.N. special envoy Razali Ismael's mediation the junta and Suu Kyi have been holding closed-door reconciliation talks since October 2000.

スー・チー氏、自宅軟禁から解放

ミャンマー（ビルマ）の民主化運動指導者アウン・サン・スー・チー氏の自宅軟禁が、1年7ヵ月ぶりに同国の軍事政権により解除された。今回の軟禁は、2000年9月にスー・チー氏が地方遊説を試みたとき始まり、その解除は軍政が国際社会の非難に配慮したものとみられる。

Shukan ST: May 17, 2002

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