Singapore, Feb 3 (UNI) Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday said that ousted Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi be set free and the military must “negotiate with her and her team, and work out a peaceful way forward for Myanmar”.
There is “no future” with military in Myanmar, Mr Lee said in an interview with BBC’s Talking Business Asia.
“Now, after all that journey to a civilian government, albeit with a big military influence in the system, to have to go back and have the military take over again – it may or may not be according to the Constitution – but it is an enormous tragic step back for them,” he added.
Mr Lee said that historically outsiders have had very little influence on the situation, and would only lead Myanmar to fall back on those willing to talk to them – previously being China and India.
He said the military’s use of lethal force against civilians and unarmed demonstrators, ” is just not acceptable.”
Such actions are “disastrous” for the country both internationally and domestically as it means everyone in the country knows what is going on.
“You may try to squeeze down the internet, but news gets around, and the Myanmar population knows who is on their side. If they decide that the government is not on their side, I think the government has a very big problem,” he said.
