Aung San Suu Kyi’s transfer from prison comes amid signs of a slight easing by Myanmar’s military leadership….reports Asian Lite News
UN Secretary General António Guterres has welcomed Myanmar’s decision to move detained former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to home detention, calling it a positive step towards creating conditions for a credible political process in the country.
Speaking on Thursday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the Secretary General appreciated the move by Myanmar’s military authorities.
“We appreciate the commutation of Aung San Suu Kyi to a so called house arrest and a designated residence,” Dujarric said.
“It is a meaningful step towards conditions conducive to a credible political process,” he added.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the former state counsellor and de facto leader of Myanmar’s democratically elected government, has remained in detention since the military coup in 2021 that toppled civilian rule.
Dujarric said both Guterres and the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop, had repeatedly called for the immediate release of political prisoners in Myanmar.
“Both the Secretary General and Julie Bishop have been calling for months now for the swift release of all political prisoners as a fundamental step towards moving towards a credible political process,” he said.
He added that a lasting political solution in Myanmar must involve an immediate end to violence and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders.
“The only viable political solution must be based on immediate cessation of violence and a genuine commitment to inclusive dialogue,” Dujarric said.
The move comes amid signs of a slight easing of military control following the appointment of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing as president last month.
Former Myanmar president Win Myint was released on April 17 alongside around 4,300 political prisoners as part of an amnesty marking the country’s New Year celebrations.
However, questions remain over the legitimacy of the current parliament that elected Min Aung Hlaing as president, as elections held in December and January excluded Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy.
Myanmar authorities said Win Myint had commuted the remainder of Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence, allowing her remaining prison term to be served under house arrest.
Since the 2021 coup, Aung San Suu Kyi had been handed prison sentences totalling 33 years by the military junta. The term was later reduced to 22 years and six months through a series of sentence reductions, with a further one sixth commutation granted last month.
The military regime in Myanmar continues to lack recognition at the United Nations, where diplomat Kyaw Moe Tun, representing the ousted civilian government, still officially holds Myanmar’s UN seat.
Julie Bishop, the former Australian foreign minister appointed as the UN special envoy for Myanmar in 2024, has been engaging with Myanmar’s military authorities and regional governments in efforts to support a return to democracy in the country.
Last year, Bishop visited India and held talks with S. Jaishankar on the situation in Myanmar.
