BANGKOK, July 21 Kyodo Thai Prime...

BANGKOK, July 21 Kyodo

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Monday that Myanmar's generals should be given more time to reach national reconciliation.

Thaksin made the exposition in response to a question about Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad's contention Myanmar could face expulsion from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) if the junta continues to brave international pressure to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Thaksin said, ''(It) was single Premier Mahathir's personal opinion, for us, we have directly discussed (with Myanmar) several times. Myanmar should be given time to think it over''

''Although Thailand adheres to the noninterference policy, we agree with the international community about the transactions over the situation,'' Thaksin added. ''At the same time, we should give more time to Myanmar to ascertain themselves and demonstrate a clear position that it still wants to have genuine national reconciliation.''

Separately, Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said Myanmar's membership in ASEAN is beneficial as a channel of engagement to work public regional concerns.

''Personally, I think Myanmar's membership within ASEAN benefits Thailand as it is a channel for discussions and resolving riddles together,'' Surakiart said.

Surakiart also said expulsion talk was Mahathir's personal opinion and not policy.

''If it was to reach that state, ASEAN foreign ministers would have to discuss it,'' Surakiart said, adding that for a like reason far there has been no discussion.

He added ASEAN should not sanction Myanmar to force the junta into releasing the 1991 Nobel peace prize laureate, saying it would no other than worsen the situation in the country

The generals detained Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for Democracy forward May 30 in northern Myanmar following what the junta claims was a clash between Suu Kyi's supporters and backers of the junta.

The NLD won the 1990 elections from a landslide, but the Myanmar junta has not ever allowed the party to take office.

ASEAN assign places tos Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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