The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) yesterday made
changes to its decade-long policy of non-interference regarding the Burmese
junta, calling the junta to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The ten ASEAN members are meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the
annual Regional Security Forum. The talks' agenda was dominated by the
detention of Suu Kyi. Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung was targeted by his
counterparts who demanded the release of Suu Kyi.

"We had a good exchange of views on Myanmar and (the ministers)
conveyed the
request…to the Myanmar government that they would like to see an easing
of tensions and early release of Aung San Suu Kyi", ASEAN General
Secretary Ong KengYong said to reporters.

The unprecedented move of commenting directly on the member nations'
affairs seems the result of United States' pressure on ASEAN countries to
review their policy on Burma.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed his strong condemnation
of the Burmese regime and described the military junta as "thugs" in an
opinion piece in the Asian Wall Street Journal.

"I will press the case in Cambodia next week when I meet with the
leaders of Southeast Asia, despite their traditional reticence to confront a
member and neighbor of their association, known as Asean.", said Mr.
Powell who will attend ASEAN meetings today.

The General Secretary of National League for Democracy and Nobel
Laureate Suu Kyi was detained along with other senior party leaders after the
scores of junta-backed men attacked them with arms, sticks, clubs and
rocks in northern Burma during the night of 30 May.

According to opposition groups, witnesses testify that about 100 people
were killed and many more injure or missing. But the military
government claims that only four have died.

Several dozens members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) have
gone underground in order to avoid being hunted down by military
intelligence.

On 30 May, United Nation Special Envoy to Burma Razali Ismail who
brokered negotiations between the junta and the NLD also urged ASEAN
countries to use their influence on the generals.

In a separate move, the European Union and the United States have
broadened their sanctions on Burma, including an arms embargo, a visa ban on
150 of the regime's officials, suspension of further trade privileges
and freezing of the the junta's assets.