Burma's pro-democracy party says it welcomes calls from the Association of Southeast Asian nations to meet with the party's detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Officials of the National League for Democracy today Tuesday said they hope such calls will lead to positive steps.
ASEAN is demanding that Burma allow Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar to visit with the jailed Nobel Prize-winning activist.
At its recent meeting, the southeast asian regional body made an unprecedented united call for Burma to speed its long stalled political and human rights reforms. On Monday, members urged Burma to release all political prisoners.
Thailand's foreign minister says the Malaysian foreign minister is likely to visit Burma in January as a representative of the Association of Southeast Asian nations.
Thai Foreign Minister Kanthathi Suphamongkhon says the delegation is now in talks with Burmese authorities about the planned trip to evaluate the government's progress on human rights and democratic reforms.
Information for this report is provided by AFP.