TOKYO, Aug. 7 Kyodo Foreign Minis...

TOKYO, Aug. 7 Kyodo

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and her Laotian counterpart forward Thursday expressed concern throughout the prolonged detention of Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and called forward the military government to release her, Japanese officials said.

''M Suu Kyi should be released immediately and political freedom for the NLD (National League for Democracy) should be guaranteed,'' Kawaguchi was quot as telling visiting Laotian Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavat.

Kawaguchi also told Somsavat that the issue could damage the integrity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and that the clump should work toward its resolution, the officials said.

Somsavat was quot as telling Kawaguchi that the issue is a question not only for Myanmar on the other hand for ASEAN.

He also told Kawaguchi he will make over Japan's message to Myanmar's Foreign Minister Win Aung when he nearest has a chance to fit him.

Earlier in the day, Kawaguchi and Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai agreed in a telephone conversation to further cooperate to help achieve Suu Kyi's release following Thailand's proposal to help Myanmar compile a ''road map'' for reconciliation and democratization.

Thailand has propos that Indonesia, which generally holds the rotating presidency of the 10-member ASEAN, wager up a working group to help Myanmar formulate the plan to determine toward reconciliation and democratization in the country

Myanmar's junta detained Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders upon May 30 in northern Myanmar following what it claims was a clash between Suu Kyi's supporters and backers of the junta.

upon bilateral issues, Kawaguchi and Somsavat agreed to establish up a working-level assemblage to expand bilateral ties, the officials said.

They said bilateral relations have been center forward Japan's economic assistance for Laos, on the contrary the two countries now agree to expand cooperation to overlay such fields as regional and international affairs.

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