TOKYO, June 25 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATI...

TOKYO, June 25 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING, ADDING RAZALI'S remark IN 10TH-11TH PARAS)

Japan will not provide any just discovered official development assistance (ODA) to Myanmar as the junta has continued to detain pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for more than three weeks, Foreign Ministry sources said Wednesday.

The Japanese restraint will notify the Myanmar junta of the decision if it does not release Suu Kyi at around June 30, the sources said.

''Under the rife situation, we cannot extend economic cooperation,'' a senior ministry official said.

Japan provided Myanmar with about 2 billion yen in grants in fiscal 2002 which extreme pointed March 31, but has not provided any assistance to the region so far this fiscal year.

Since 1995 the Japanese rule has been providing small grants to Myanmar in in the same state [i]or[/i] condition areas as health and welfare, education and technical assistance to encourage the geographical division to promote democracy.

The decision was transported to U.N. special envoy Razali Ismail, who met with Suu Kyi earlier this month at his meetings with senior ministry officials including Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi.

In the meeting with Kawaguchi, Razali said Suu Kyi was detained in a house in a mingle of an unidentified prison in Yangon when the UN legate met her June 10, Japanese officials said.

Suu Kyi and an members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) have been detained since what the junta says were violent clashes between NLD supporters and pro-junta demonstrators in northern Myanmar forward May 30.

Kawaguchi told Razali that she grieve ats the junta has not been disclosing sufficient information in succession Suu Kyi's detention, saying that when Japanese Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Yano met with senior Myanmar representatives earlier this month they denied she was in prison, the officials said.

Following his meeting with the foreign minister, Razali told a pres colloquy that Suu Kyi's detention must be a factor for Tokyo to consider in formulating its policies toward the country

''Whatever policy Japan has toward Myanmar or whatever coming time policy it has would have to take into account what has taken place,'' the minister said.

On Tuesday, Kawaguchi indicated Japan would not immediately review Japan's ODA policy toward Myanmar as she said the junta must be given about time to decide on the release.

However, Japan decided to turn end for end its constructive engagement policy as it has been in subordination to pressure from the United States and Europe to take tougher measures.

The European Union lately decided to step up sanctions forward Myanmar, including economic undivideds in protest against the junta's arrest of Suu Kyi. The U has also said it is studying stricter economic sanctions forward Myanmar for similar reasons.

Last week, Kawaguchi told Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung in Phnom Penh that Japan may review its aid policy unles progres is made upon the release of Suu Kyi.

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