The U.S. Secretary of State says the international community must clearly demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democracy movement in Burma. Colin Powell stated on Friday in Bangkok, ahead of the regional leaders' summit, that Southeast Asian leaders must work harder for her freedom and return Burma to the path of democracy. Mr. Powell is in Thailand to meet with the foreign and economic ministers of the 21 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). They are expected to outline the agenda for the upcoming APEC leaders' summit next week. Issues related to multilateral trade and economic cooperation are anticipated to be at the center of discussions among the leaders.
The International Community Must Clearly Demand the Release of Aung San Suu Kyi - 2003-10-17
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell calls for the international community to demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, emphasizing the need for Southeast Asian leaders to work towards her freedom and a return to democracy in Burma. This statement comes ahead of an APEC summit where trade and economic cooperation will be key topics.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called for the international community to demand the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and urged Southeast Asian leaders to work towards her freedom and the restoration of democracy in Burma. This statement was made ahead of an APEC summit focused on trade and economic cooperation.
- Colin Powell emphasized the need for Southeast Asian leaders to take action regarding Suu Kyi's release.
- The APEC summit will address multilateral trade and economic cooperation among member countries.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Aung San Suu Kyi has been a prominent figure in the fight for democracy in Burma, and her detention symbolizes the challenges faced by democratic movements in authoritarian states.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%