From Nasdaq.com

SINGAPORE (AFP)–Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim called Monday for stronger regional efforts to force Myanmar to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Anwar, speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore, suggested that some neighbors were more interested in doing business with Myanmar’s military regime than promoting freedom.

“There’s more construction than constructive engagement,” he said, referring to contracts awarded to Asian investors in Myanmar.

Anwar lamented what he called “the utter abdication of responsibility in the region” to use more direct methods to convince Myanmar’s military regime to free the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

He urged fellow members of Asian parliaments to help Suu Kyi, who is on trial in Yangon for allegedly breaching the terms of her house arrest.

“We hope that there will be a stronger voice demanding for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi,” Anwar said.

The ruling junta has said the democracy icon breached the terms of her house arrest after a bizarre incident in which an American man swam to her lakeside house earlier this month.

She faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has voiced “grave concern” over her treatment but critics said Asean should do more than just issue statements.

Myanmar on Monday strongly rejected the regional criticism of its trial of Suu Kyi, saying it was in violation of Asean’s bedrock principle of noninterference in members’ domestic affairs.

Myanmar’s military regime has kept Suu Kyi in detention for 13 of the past 19 years.

As well as Myanmar and Thailand, Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.