Thai parliament women speak out for Aung San Suu Kyi

"As a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and as a longstanding democracy advocate, Daw (Mrs) Aung San suu Kyi has been an inspiration not only for women MPs in Thailand but also for all adherents and participants of democratic ideals worldwide," the 22 Thai women said in a statement.

Altogether there are 62 women MPs out of 474 total seats in Thailand's Lower House.  

Suu Kyi, who has spent the past six years under house arrest at her family's lakeside compound in Rangoon, is currently on trial for breaking her terms of detention by allowing US national John William Yettaw, 53, to swim to her home on May 3 and stay there, although uninvited, until the night of May 5.

If found guilty, Suu Kyi faces a minimum of three and maximum of five years in jail.

"We believe her action, if committed, was an act out of mercy and out of her concern for a fellow human being. The incident warrants no trial of detention," the Thai MPs' letter to Burma's military rulers said. 

"We, the undersigned women members of Thai Parliament, strongly urged the unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees," it said. 

It was the first such statement by a group of women MPs in Thai parliament on a diplomatic matter.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in his position as current chair of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), last month issued a statement expressing "deep concern" about Suu Kyi's latest trial and possible imprisonment.    

The statement was rejected by Burma's  junta as interference in the country's internal affairs. Myanmar joined Asean in 1997.

Suu Kyi has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest in a country ruled by a military junta continually criticised for human rights abuses. She now faces another three to five years in jail if found guilty of breaking the terms of her latest, six-year detention.

Western leaders have criticised the proceeding as a show trial designed to keep Suu Kyi out of the political scene while the junta stages a general election next year.

Suu Kyi, her two household aides and Yettaw stand accused of breaking Suu Kyi's terms of house arrest as a result of Yettaw's swim to her home.

Suu Kyi, 63, is the leader of the National League for Democracy  opposition party, which won the 1990 general election by a landslide, but has been blocked from power by Burma's junta for the past 19 years.