MANILA – The Philippines called on Myanmar Friday to expand its prisoner releases to include more political detainees, specifically mentioning former leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was removed from power in a military coup.
As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines issued a statement on April 24 praising Myanmar’s recent amnesty actions while pushing for additional releases to help foster nationwide political discussions.
“We reaffirm our commitment to assisting Myanmar, as an integral part of ASEAN, to achieve a peaceful and durable solution to the political crisis in the country,” the Philippines stated in the official ASEAN chair’s declaration.
The Filipino government characterized the recent prisoner amnesty as a constructive move toward creating opportunities for broader political engagement across Myanmar’s divided society.
