Cambodia's foreign ministry welcomes reduction in Suu Kyi sentence

Earth Times
http://www.earthtimes.org

Wed, 12 Aug 2009
Author : DPA

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the reduction of the sentence handed down to Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as "a good signal," and said Myanmar is moving towards democracy, local media reported. Foreign affairs spokesman Koy Kuong told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper that the junta's decision to reduce the sentence of three years hard labour in prison to 18 months under house arrest showed Myanmar's military government is keen on democratic reforms.

"It is a good signal for the situation that Aung San Suu Kyi only got a sentence of 18 months' house arrest," Koy Kuong said. "Myanmar has gone through many steps [and] is on the way to democratization."

Koy Kuong would not comment further, saying the matter is an internal affair for Myanmar, a fellow state in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Phnom Penh had previously said Suu Kyi was innocent and should be released.

A prominent local human rights activist in Phnom Penh said the Cambodian government's U-turn is probably because it is cracking down on its own citizens with a flurry of lawsuits this year against opposition politicians, media workers and civil society representatives.

"It is very difficult for the Cambodian government to say anything about [Suu Kyi's trial] because the same could be said about the Cambodian government," said Ou Virak, the president of the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights.

Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested in May after US citizen John Yettaw swam to her lakeside home where he stayed for two nights. The junta said that was a breach of Suu Kyi's house arrest terms.