This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8361081.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Obama urges Burma to free Suu Kyi | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| US President Barack Obama has urged Burma's prime minister to release the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. | US President Barack Obama has urged Burma's prime minister to release the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. |
| Mr Obama delivered the message as he met leaders of the Asean grouping of south-east Asian nations in Singapore. | Mr Obama delivered the message as he met leaders of the Asean grouping of south-east Asian nations in Singapore. |
| White House press secretary said Mr Obama raised the issue "directly" with General Gen Thein Sein. | White House press secretary said Mr Obama raised the issue "directly" with General Gen Thein Sein. |
| Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest was extended in August beyond the elections planned for next year. She has spent 14 years in detention in the past two decades. | Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest was extended in August beyond the elections planned for next year. She has spent 14 years in detention in the past two decades. |
| The Apec summit brings together leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), which includes Burma. | The Apec summit brings together leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), which includes Burma. |
| Before the talks in a hotel room, Mr Obama and the Asean leaders stood in a line on a stage, crossing their arms to shake hands with the leader on either side. | |
| Thein Sein was not close to Mr Obama - a direct meeting would have marked the first time in 43 years a US president had met a Burmese leader. | |
| US presidents have previously refused to hold meetings with Asean when Burmese leaders were present. | US presidents have previously refused to hold meetings with Asean when Burmese leaders were present. |
| Aung San Suu Kyi has lodged an appeal to be released from house arrest | |
| "The president was just - as you know - in the scheduled meeting with the 10 Asean nations, and brought up in the meeting the... the release of Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma. So, he brought that up directly with that government," Mr Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs said. | "The president was just - as you know - in the scheduled meeting with the 10 Asean nations, and brought up in the meeting the... the release of Aung San Suu Kyi by Burma. So, he brought that up directly with that government," Mr Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs said. |
| Aung San Suu Kyi's party won Burma's last elections in 1990 but the military never allowed her to take power. | |
| Observers believe Burma's authorities want to keep the pro-democracy leader in detention until after polls scheduled for next year. | |
| Lawyers for Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace prize laureate, have lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court against her extended house arrest. |