Japan urges Myanmar to release Suu Kyi, hold free, fair election+

TOKYO, Aug. 20 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Japan has urged Myanmar to release political prisoners including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and conduct its general election slated for Nov. 7 in an open, free and fair manner, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Friday.
The minister told a press conference that the Japanese government conveyed Thursday its concern over the November poll, which will be held for the first time in two decades, through Myanmar's ambassador to Japan.

"If Myanmar holds the general election without releasing political prisoners including Ms. Suu Kyi, it would not be a free, fair and open election that the international community has called for and thus would be regrettable," Okada said.

He called on the Myanmar government to swiftly hold a substantive dialogue with Suu Kyi and conduct the general election by including all the concerned parties.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the 1990 election in a landslide, but it has decided to boycott the upcoming election. The party became legally defunct after failing to re-register with the election commission by a deadline.

The pro-democracy leader has been under some form of detention, mostly house arrest, for 15 of the past 21 years.



http://news.tbs.co.jp/20100820/newseye/tbs_newseye4506501.html

　ミャンマーが１１月にアウン・サン・スー・チーさんを排除したまま２０年ぶりの総選挙を行うことについて、岡田外務大臣は公正な選挙をミャンマー政府に求めたことを明らかにしました。

　「ミャンマー政府が、アウン・サン・スー・チー女史を含む政治犯の釈放を行わないまま総選挙を実施するのであれば、わが国を含む国際社会がこれまで求めてきた自由公正で開かれた総選挙の実施とは異なるもので、遺憾である」（岡田克也 外相）

　岡田外務大臣は会見で、自宅軟禁中の民主化運動指導者、アウン・サン・スー・チーさんを釈放して公正な選挙を行うよう、ミャンマー大使館を通じて軍事政権側に求めたことを明らかにしました。

　ミャンマーでは１１月７日に総選挙が行われることになっていますが、スー・チーさんの自宅軟禁の期限は１１月中旬で、スー・チーさんは選挙から事実上、排除された格好となっています。（20日20:33）