Japan urges Myanmar to release Suu Kyi, hold free, fair election+

TOKYO, Aug. 20 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Japan has urged Myanmar to release political prisoners including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and conduct its general election slated for Nov. 7 in an open, free and fair manner, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Friday.
The minister told a press conference that the Japanese government conveyed Thursday its concern over the November poll, which will be held for the first time in two decades, through Myanmar's ambassador to Japan.

"If Myanmar holds the general election without releasing political prisoners including Ms. Suu Kyi, it would not be a free, fair and open election that the international community has called for and thus would be regrettable," Okada said.

He called on the Myanmar government to swiftly hold a substantive dialogue with Suu Kyi and conduct the general election by including all the concerned parties.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the 1990 election in a landslide, but it has decided to boycott the upcoming election. The party became legally defunct after failing to re-register with the election commission by a deadline.

The pro-democracy leader has been under some form of detention, mostly house arrest, for 15 of the past 21 years.