Aquino urges Myanmar to do more on democracy

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III urged Myanmar’s government on Wednesday to go further with democratic reforms, as he welcomed recent political developments in the military-dominated nation.

“The things that they committed to do seem to have been happening already,” Aquino told reporters in reference to promises by Myanmar’s rulers to open up the country’s political system.

“There seems to have been some opening of democratic space. We would encourage them to continue to do so.”

Aquino noted that pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed in November after seven straight years of detention, had not been detained again, while at least one opposition gathering had been allowed.

His comments came as Myanmar’s government freed about 120 political prisoners, according to Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, under a broad amnesty.

Comedian Zarganar, one of Myanmar’s most famous dissidents, was among those released.

The Philippines has been among the most vocal critics of Myanmar’s rulers within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbors.

Myanmar remains under broad sanctions imposed by Western nations on the former military regime, which handed over power to a nominally civilian government in March following a controversial election last year.

But President Thein Sein, a former general and senior junta figure, has surprised critics by signalling a series of political reforms since taking power.