Suu Kyi undecided on lifting sanctions

BANGKOK, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has not reached a policy decision on whether sanctions on her country should be lifted, a British diplomat says.

British Ambassador Andrew Heyn told reporters in Bangkok Friday that Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, said during a rare meeting with Westerners that she hasn't come to a determination on whether she would call for sanctions to be lifted on the military junta that runs the country, The Washington Post reported.

But, Heyn said, she did ask under what conditions Western countries might lift the punitive policy, which in turn led to a discussion of the 2,100 political prisoners being held in Myanmar's jails, as well as free and fair elections next year and the treatment of ethnic minorities.

"She was very clear that it was a fact-finding session, and she made absolutely explicit that she had not reached a policy on sanctions," the Post reported Heyn as saying.

The newspaper said Suu Kyi, 64, has recently reached out to the country's generals, saying she would consider lending her moral authority to lifting economic sanctions that have long crippled the 47-year-old junta, the newspaper said.