Hun Sen leaves for Myanmar on official visit

PHNOM PENH, May 21 Kyodo

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen left for Myanmar on Monday at the invitation of Gen. Thein Sein, Myanmar's acting prime minister.

Sry Thammarong, an advisor to the prime minister, said the purpose of the three-day visit is to strengthen relations and to push for actual implementation of already signed agreements and a memorandum of understanding.

Since 1996, Cambodia has signed with Myanmar agreements on tourism, flight services, and cultural cooperation and an MOU on agricultural and fishery cooperation.

During the visit, Hun Sen is due to hold talks with Thein Sein and call on Sr. Gen. Than Shwe, head of Myanmar's junta.

Senior government sources told Kyodo News that Hun Sen expressed an interest in meeting with detained democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, but the availability of a meeting will be confirmed only upon his arrival there.

Cambodian opposition party leader Sam Rainsy suggested Hun Sen should raise democratic reform with the junta and press for the release of Suu Kyi.

''I think that what Cambodia should do is to tell Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi and to make democratic reform. Such a meeting (with Myanmar's leader) could be useful if there is an increase of pressure on military-ruled Myanmar,'' Sam Rainsy told reporters last week.

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