Singapore, November 11: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today urged Asian nations to reach out to Myanmar’s leaders and encourage them to hold “free, fair and credible elections”.
Clinton enlisted the help of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose leaders including Myanmar’s premier are due to meet US President Barack Obama at a regional summit here this weekend.
“We would like to see countries individually and through ASEAN reach out to the Burmese leadership, persuade them to start planning for free, fair and credible elections in 2010,” Clinton said, using the country’s former name.
“Certainly China has the opportunity to play a very positive role, as does Thailand, India and other ASEAN countries.”
With the Obama administration trying a new approach of engaging with Myanmar’s military junta, Clinton said it was in the interests of the regime’s neighbours to push for democratic reforms.
–PTI