NEW DELHI:
India has sought release of Myanmarese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and backed a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution calling for democratisation and dialogue in the country while registering its dissent with the `unhelpful tone` in the document.
`The government of India believes that the release of Aung San Suu Kyi would be helpful in terms of the process of democratisation and that she can contribute to the emergence of Myanmar as a democratic country,` Permanent Representative to the UNHRC Swashpawan Singh said at a meeting of the world body.
Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader, has been under house arrest since 2000.
Describing Myanmar as a `close and friendly neighbour` with whom India shares `links of geography, culture, history and religion`, Singh noted that recent developments in that country were a `matter of concern` for New Delhi.
He pointed out that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had met his Myanmarese counterpart U Nyan Win at New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on October one and conveyed India`s concern.
Mukherjee sought a probe into the recent incidents of violence and crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Myanmar.
`We are closely monitoring the situation there,` Singh said.
He conveyed to the world body India`s readiness to work with `like-minded countries towards an outcome which is forward-looking, non-discriminatory and seeks to engage the authorities in Myanmar in a constructive manner to facilitate a peaceful outcome`.
