Australia's Rudd Meets Suu Kyi in Myanmar

Yangon (ANTARA/AFP) - Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd held over two hours of talks with Myanmar's pro-democracy hero Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday in Yangon, a day after meeting the new president. The first delegation from Canberra since Myanmar's new army-backed government came to power said "they are expecting some change here", said Han Thar Myint, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD). Rudd, the former Australian prime minister, "discussed Australia's continued assistance to Myanmar as its second largest donor", the spokesman told AFP. "He gave their views on Myanmar regarding human rights and democracy, and how they are trying to help us." Rudd met President Thein Sein in the capital Naypyidaw on Friday, one of the few visiting foreign diplomats to do so. Suu Kyi was released from house arrest late last year and was told this week by the new army-backed government to halt all political activities, saying they broke the law. Suu Kyi was freed in November after seven straight years of house arrest, less than a week after an election in Myanmar that critics said was a charade aimed at hiding military rule behind a civilian facade. Shortly after her release, Rudd told the Nobel peace laureate by telephone that Australia would continue to be her "reliable friend" in the future. Australia's development aid to the country has increased from AUS$29.1 million (US$31 million) in 2009-10 to AUS$47.6 million in 2011-12, a statement from Canberra said last month. It is set to reach AUS$50 million by 2012-13.