Suu Kyi's party skeptical on Myanmar amnesty claim

Myanmar's opposition party Tuesday said it was skeptical the military junta would release political prisoners including its leader Aung San Suu Kyi, despite new assurances given to the UN. The possible amnesty was announced by Myanmar's UN ambassador Than Swe to diplomats in New York after UN chief Ban Ki-moon demanded the release of key political detainees ahead of national polls planned for next year. But Myanmar's state media is yet to confirm the prisoner release and in the most recent amnesty in February, only a handful of political detainees were among the 6,300 prisoners let out. "We would welcome it if they released political prisoners in an amnesty but very few political prisoners have been included in previous amnesties," said National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman Nyan Win. Nyan Win is also acting as a defence lawyer in the controversial trial of Aung San Suu Kyi on charges that she breached the terms of her house arrest when an American man swam to her lakeside home in May. "(Aung San Suu Kyi's) release depends on the authorities and we do not have high hopes. If she is released it will be good for all," Nyan Win said. The democracy leader has been either jailed or under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years since the junta refused to recognize the NLD's victory in Myanmar's last elections, in 1990. Nyan Win said about 400 NLD members were among the more than 2,100 political prisoners in Myanmar's notorious jails. Ban briefed the 15-member UN Security Council Monday on his visit to the military-ruled nation earlier this month in which he failed to secure any concessions or meet with Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. "I have made it quite clear that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be released and free to participate in the elections," the UN secretary-general later told reporters. Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the daily Emirates Business 24|7 newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here .