DND seeks more military aid from China

MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines on Tuesday said it "deeply regrets" the decision by Myanmar to extend the house arrest of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The decision reflects the Myanmar government's "unwillingness to demonstrate its genuine commitment to full democratisation," Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said in a statement.

Romulo said the Philippines joined other countries calling for the release of the pro-democracy leader.

The statement was a rare act of criticism from the Philippines for a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Romulo had made a three-day visit to military-ruled Myanmar last year and unsuccessfully sought a meeting with the 61-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner.

In a statement issued in January, ASEAN leaders encouraged fellow member Myanmar to "make greater progress towards national reconciliation."

They called for the release of detainees but did not name the democracy leader.

Myanmar and the Philippines are members of the 10-nation ASEAN, a grouping that also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

But military-ruled Myanmar, which joined ASEAN in 1997, has embarrassed the regional bloc by refusing to introduce democratic reforms.

Myanmar's junta crushed pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988 and two years later rejected the results of national elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy.

The United Nations has estimated there are more than 1,100 other political prisoners in Myanmar, which has been ruled by the military since 1962.

ASEAN is pursuing a policy of "constructive engagement" to encourage Myanmar to democratise. But this has led to friction with the United States and the European Union, which impose sanctions on the military regime.