Thailand talks

From Daily Yomiuri (extract)-

Thailand, as the chair of ASEAN, is the organisation's spokesperson on the trial and so it can be assumed what Thailand says, the rest of ASEAN concures with. Interest here in the call for Aung San Suu Kyi to be part of the 2010 election and for that process to be inclusive. However, ASEAN has a history of talking things up, but not acting. So far, that pattern is continuing.

Abhisit concerned for Suu Kyi
Norimasa Tahara Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
BANGKOK--Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expressed his concern over the fate of Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who went on trial in Myanmar on Wednesday, during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun at Government House in Bangkok the same day.
Abhisit also spoke about the political situation in Thailand, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Asked about the indictment of Suu Kyi in Myanmar, an ASEAN member state, Abhisit said: "We've been assured by the Myanmar government during the [ASEAN] meetings [in recent months] in Hua Hin and Pattaya [in Thailand] that they were continuing to implement the road map toward democracy and transition on what has happened. Clearly we're concerned about the credibility of that."

He said ASEAN "asked for humanitarian treatment, and that there would be justice, which is an essential component of a good political process."

On Tuesday, Thailand issued a statement as the ASEAN chair, asking for the immediate release of Suu Kyi among other requests.

During the interview, Abhisit stressed that ASEAN has examined progress in Myanmar's democratic process during past summit meetings and on other occasions.

"We want to see this is solved as quickly as possible and reiterate our stance that the democratic process needs to be inclusive. And we hope to see the progress," Abhisit said, suggesting he believed that democracy supporters, including Suu Kyi, should be able to take part in Myanmar's next general election scheduled in 2010.