Remarks With Malaysian Foreign Minister Y.B. Datuk Anifah bin Haji Aman After Their Meeting by Secretary Clinton: May 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon. I want to thank Foreign Minister Anifah for being here today. He has traveled a far distance from Malaysia to participate in meetings both here at the State Department and at the United States Senate. And President Obama and I look forward to working with the new Malaysian Government, and we see many opportunities for engagement between our two countries.


I am especially delighted because I think that the role that Malaysia is playing and can play, regionally and even globally, on a number of important issues is significant, and therefore we want to broaden and deepen our strategic cooperation.


Before providing a readout of our meeting, however, I wanted to speak to the case of Aung San Suu Kyi. I am deeply troubled by the Burmese Government’s decision to charge Aung San Suu Kyi for a baseless crime. It comes just before the six-year anniversary of her house arrest, and it is not in keeping with the rule of law, the ASEAN charter, or efforts to promote national reconciliation and progress in Burma.


We oppose the regime’s efforts to use this incident as a pretext to place further unjustified restrictions on her, and therefore we call on the Burmese authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally, along with her doctor and the more than 2,100 political prisoners currently being held.


I have a great admiration for Aung San Suu Kyi, for her sacrifices and her love of her country. There are certainly political differences that exist in any society. The minister and I understand that. But we all should be striving to enhance the rule of law. And the ASEAN charter, which the minister and I spoke about in our meeting, sets a very clear direction for all the countries in the region to be headed.

FOREIGN MINISTER ANIFAH:we are also very concerned as to what’s happening in Burma, in Myanmar, and we hope to use the ASEAN Forum to put forward and to – also to discuss further, and if it’s necessary, upon my arrival in Malaysia I will immediately contact the secretary general of ASEAN if it is possible to have a meeting immediately to address the issues which is also of concern to ASEAN members.