The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Singapore

The release of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be a key factor in the Philippines' decision to ratify a new charter for a regional grouping, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has said.

Arroyo, striking a tough posture, told the Financial Times that Myanmar's military rulers must comply with the human rights elements in the charter of the Association of South East Asian Association (ASEAN) by speeding the move toward democracy. She said the release of Suu Kyi, who has spent 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest, will be the "number one benchmark" for Manila to decide whether to ratify the charter of the 10-member grouping that was signed at its meeting last month. The charter needs ratification by all 10 ASEAN members before an economic and security bloc encompassing 560 million people can be established.