ASEAN demands Myanmar to free Aung San Suu Kyi

ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, has urged Myanmar to release detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Foreign ministers of 10 ASEAN member countries held an unofficial meeting on Sunday night over dinner.After the meeting, Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said in a statement that the participants conveyed their disappointment to Myanmar over the decision in May to extend the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Yeo also said Myanmar's government should hold talks with all political groups and move forward on democratization.Yeo quoted Myanmar's Foreign Minister Nyan Win as saying that a six-year limit on the opposition leader's detention will come up in about six months.

On Monday, the foreign ministers will hold talks aiming at putting into effect the ASEAN charter within 2008. The charter upholds the principles and rules to realize regional integration.Our correspondent says the strong stance on Myanmar appears to reflect the concerns of the Philippines and other members which have yet to ratify the charter due to their dissatisfaction with delay of democratization in the country.