Washington: The United States on Saturday asked the Myanmar`s military junta to begin the process of national reconciliation and a genuine transition to democracy.
"As the world honours the long struggle of the Burmese people for a better future, we renew our call on the Burmese authorities to begin a process of national reconciliation and a genuine transition to democracy," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said in a statement.
The statement came on the occasion on anniversary of the 1988 popular Democratic uprising in Myanmar.
"Today, the United States recalls the patriotism and bravery of the people of Burma, who twenty-one years ago rose up in peaceful protest to call for democracy and justice in their country," he said.
In the more than two decades that have passed, thousands of activists, monks, and ordinary Burmese citizens have followed in their footstep, Wood said.
The first step towards beginning the process of reconciliation, Wood said, would be unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all of the 2,100 political prisoners currently detained by the authorities.
"The door remains open for the regime to respect the wishes of the Burmese people and international community, and to step toward the path of engagement after so many years of isolation," Wood said.
Bureau Report
