Japan calls Aung San Suu Kyi's release 'a step forward'

Sat, 13 Nov 2010

Yokohama, Japan - Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara welcomed Saturday the release of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Japanese government "views the release as a step forward, as we had been deeply concerned about the fact that the pro-democracy leader in Myanmar had been under house arrest for many years," Maehara said in a statement.

"We expect the government of Myanmar to take further positive measures in the future to realize improvement of the human rights situation, democratization and national reconciliation," he added.

Kei Nemoto, a professor at Sophia University in Tokyo and expert on the modern history of Myanmar, was giving a lecture to some 30 people when the release was reported.

Nemoto said he is concerned that Suu Kyi may be detained again if she expresses doubts over the legitimacy of last week's general election in the country, Kyodo News reported.

"They released her only because her detention period expired," Nemoto was quoted as saying. "We need to closely watch to what extent her political freedom will be approved."

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/353390,release-a-step-forward.html.