Suu Kyi in good health, Myanmar foreign minister assures Asean

Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe told his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at a meeting in Bangkok on Sunday that ousted pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and being well cared for.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro disclosed the information at a press conference following the first informal meeting between Asean foreign ministers and their Myanmar counterpart since the February 2021 coup.

“The premise of how he said is that she is a relative, she is a sister, and therefore, we will take care of her,” Lazaro said, referring to Suu Kyi.

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READ: Asean urged to seek release of Suu Kyi

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Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been detained since the military coup that toppled the democratically elected government she led as de facto leader.

She was imprisoned on charges including corruption but was later transferred to house arrest after her sentence was reduced.

According to Sihasak, Myanmar’s foreign minister also told the meeting that Suu Kyi has access to all the facilities she needs.

But the Thai foreign minister said it would be better if the Myanmar government allows Lazaro, who serves as Asean’s special envoy, to meet Suu Kyi during her upcoming visit to Myanmar.

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READ: What Myanmar is signaling to Asean by rejecting access to Suu Kyi

Such a meeting would help “verify the claim” made by the Myanmar side, Sihasak said.

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During Sunday’s meeting, Asean foreign ministers urged Myanmar to take more concrete actions in implementing the Five-Point Consensus, a peace initiative agreed on following the 2021 military coup.

The consensus calls for reducing violence, holding inclusive dialogues and releasing more political prisoners, according to Sihasak and Lazaro.

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Myanmar’s political leaders have been barred from attending Asean meetings since the coup. Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. /dl