The president is considering “good things” for detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi (pic), Thailand’s foreign minister said, as the country seeks to normalise ties with regional bloc Asean after five years on the sidelines.
The status of Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, who has been detained since her government was toppled in a 2021 coup, was discussed at a meeting between Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief-turned-president, and Thailand’s top diplomat Sihasak Phuangketkeow.
Sihasak said Hlaing informed him Suu Kyi, 80, was being “well looked after”, after he relayed concerns about her welfare from the 11-member bloc.
“Many Asean countries are worried about Aung San Suu Kyi and her well-being, and he said they are considering good things, so this could be a good thing,” Sihasak said on Wednesday, adding Hlaing did not elaborate.
Suu Kyi, the hugely popular daughter of Myanmar independence hero Aung San, has been serving a 27-year sentence for a litany of offences her allies said were politically motivated to keep her at bay, ranging from incitement and corruption to election fraud and violating a state secrets law.
It is unclear where she is being held. Her sentence was last week commuted by one-sixth as part of an amnesty for thousands of prisoners that included the release of her ally, Win Myint, the ousted former president and co-defendant in many of her trials.
Hlaing was recently chosen as president by parliament, formalising his grip on power after an election that was dominated by an army-backed party in the absence of viable opposition.
Few countries have endorsed Myanmar’s election or the new military-backed government, with some western nations dismissing the process as a sham designed to entrench the army’s control under the guise of civilian rule.
Sihasak said Thailand was ready to support Myanmar in its efforts to end a raging civil war and seek a detente with Asean.
“They’re trying to show that they’re moving towards a better direction,” he said in video shared by the Thai government.
“These things are essential. Because we want them to return to Asean. We want to help them but we can’t help them if they cannot help themselves.” — Reuters
