MANILA, (Reuters): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, under the chairmanship of the Philippines, has called on Myanmar to expand its recent prisoner amnesty to include more detainees, notably ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The bloc described the latest amnesty as a positive step toward fostering inclusive national dialogue.
In a statement, ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Myanmar in achieving a peaceful and lasting resolution to its ongoing political crisis. Aung San Suu Kyi has remained in detention since the 2021 Myanmar coup, which overthrew her elected government. Her situation was recently raised by Sihasak Phuangketkeow during talks with Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing.
According to Sihasak, Min Aung Hlaing stated that Suu Kyi, now 80, is being “well looked after” and hinted that “good things” may be considered for her, without providing further details. ASEAN has continued to express concern over her welfare. Suu Kyi is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted on multiple charges, including incitement, corruption, election fraud, and violations of state secrets laws. Her supporters argue that the charges are politically motivated to sideline her from public life.
As part of a recent amnesty, her sentence was reduced by one-sixth, and several prisoners were released, including former president Win Myint. The 2021 coup, led by Min Aung Hlaing, ended a decade of fragile democratic transition and triggered widespread protests and a prolonged civil conflict. In response, ASEAN excluded Myanmar’s military leadership from its high-level summits.
During his recent inauguration, Min Aung Hlaing emphasized peace and national reconciliation as key priorities and expressed a desire to restore relations with ASEAN, a move that Thailand has pledged to support.
