US and ASEAN chair press for unconditional Suu Kyi release in Myanmar
The US and ASEAN chair, the Philippines, call for Aung San Suu Kyi’s unconditional release and wider humanitarian access to political prisoners in Myanmar following an ICRC visit.
- The United States and the Philippines, as the 2026 ASEAN chair, have called for the unconditional release of Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
- These calls for release followed a recent visit to Suu Kyi by a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
- Both the US and ASEAN welcomed the ICRC visit, expressing hope that it will lead to regular humanitarian access to Suu Kyi and all other detainees.
- The ASEAN chair also reiterated its desire for its special envoy to be granted access to all parties in Myanmar, including Suu Kyi, to facilitate dialogue.
The US State Department and the Philippines, which chairs ASEAN in 2026, called on Friday (August 7) for Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners to be released unconditionally.
The move followed a meeting on Monday (August 3) between Suu Kyi and a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been detained since the February 2021 military coup that removed the elected civilian government she led, amid long-running questions over her health and well-being.
In separate statements, the US State Department and the ASEAN chair welcomed the ICRC visit and expressed hope that it would mark the beginning of regular access to Suu Kyi, including medical care.
"We urge the further expansion of access to persons held in detention in Myanmar since February 2021, and reiterate our call for their release, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s complete and unconditional release," the ASEAN chair said in its statement.
In a post on X, the US State Department wrote:
"We hope this visit marks the beginning of regular humanitarian access to Aung San Suu Kyi and serves as a pathway to greater access to all political prisoners."
The State Department also called for her "immediate and unconditional release" and urged Myanmar’s military to engage in dialogue to end the conflict that broke out after the coup.
The ASEAN chair also reaffirmed the role of the bloc’s special envoy in engaging all sides in Myanmar in line with ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus. It expressed hope that the envoy would be permitted to visit Myanmar and meet all parties concerned, including Suu Kyi.
Source: Reuters
