United Nations: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed appreciation after Myanmar’s military authorities transferred detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi from prison to home detention, according to spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, marking a notable development in the country’s ongoing political situation.
“We appreciate the commutation of Aung San Suu Kyi to a so-called house arrest and a designated residence,” Dujarric said on Thursday.
“It is a meaningful step towards conditions conducive to a credible political process,” he said.
The military-controlled Myanmar government announced that Aung San Suu Kyi, who was the state counsellor and de facto leader of the democratically elected government, has been under detention since the coup that ended civilian rule in 2021.
“Both the Secretary-General and Julie Bishop, his special envoy for Myanmar, have been calling for months now for the swift release of all political prisoners as a fundamental step towards moving towards a credible political process,” Dujarric said.
“The only viable political solution must be based on immediate cessation of violence and a genuine commitment to inclusive dialogue,” he added.
The election of Aung Hlaing, the senior general who led the coup and ruled the country as the junta head, as president last month has seen a slight loosening of the extremely tight grip of the military.
Win Myint, who was the president in the overthrown civilian government, was released from detention on April 17 along with about 4,300 political prisoners to coincide with Myanmar’s New Year that day.
The legitimacy of the parliament that made him president has been questioned, as it was elected in elections in December and January that excluded Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy.
The Myanmar government said Win Myint commuted the remaining sentences of Aung San Suu Kyi, “who is currently serving her sentence at Nay Pyi Taw Prison, to be served under house arrest”.
She was sentenced to a total of 33 years by the junta in 2021, and this was cut to 22 years and six months in successive reductions and given another commutation of one-sixth of the prison terms last month.
The military regime is not recognised by the UN, and Kyaw Moe Tun, the permanent representative of the ousted civilian government and a vocal critic of the military regime, continues to officially represent Myanmar.
Bishop, a former foreign minister of Australia, was appointed Guterres’ special representative for Myanmar in 2024.
She has been in contact with the military and leaders of neighbouring and other countries to find a way to restore democracy in Myanmar.
Last year, Bishop visited India and met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss the Myanmar situation.
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–IANS
