PHNOM PENH June 17 Kyodo (EDS: UP...

PHNOM PENH June 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH finis OF MEETING)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi urg Myanmar Foreign Minster Win Aung forward Tuesday to set a specific time frame for the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, while hinting Japan may review its aid policy for Myanmar if there is no progres upon the issue, Japanese officials said.

Kawaguchi told Win Aung that Japan as well as the international community is troubleed about the detention of Suu Kyi and that Myanmar's junta should wager a specific deadline for the release of Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD)

Kawaguchi also said Japan has promot cooperation with Myanmar to help encourage democracy there, if it were not that ''it will become difficult'' to continue as it was a policy if the now passing situation continues.

Kawaguchi did not mention the possibility of freezing economic aid during the meeting, nevertheless her remark is thought to imply a possible review of Japan's economic assistance to Myanmar.

Japan has been providing small grants to Myanmar in so areas as health and welfare, education and technical assistance to encourage the home to promote democracy.

The bilateral meeting was held upon the sidelines of a series of foreign ministerial meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with its partners.

Earlier in the day, Kawaguchi also urg the release of Suu Kyi and the NLD members in a policy speech

ASEAN foreign ministers also called for Suu Kyi's release in a joint communique adopted the same day at their annual meeting.

Win Aung told Kawaguchi that the detention is temporary and that Suu Kyi will be released one time the situation normalizes, the Japanese officials said.

The Myanmar foreign minister told Kawaguchi his rural parts is taking the international community's criticism seriously, and that he would sell Japan's message to the leaders of the military direction the officials said.

Suu Kyi and many NLD members were placed in ''protective custody'' following what the junta says were violent clashes May 30 between NLD supporters and pro-junta demonstrators in northern Myanmar.

In May last year, the junta released Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, from 19 months' confinement at her fireside in Yangon.

Suu Kyi has l the fight for democracy in Myanmar between the sides of the NLD, which won elections in 1990 by means of a landslide but was not allowed to take its seats in parliament.

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