Southeast Asian leaders are calling for an early lifting of economic sanctions on Burma following historic by-elections in which Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy movement won a sweeping victory. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia, last year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, issued the call Tuesday during an ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh.
Foreign Minister Hor Namhong of Cambodia, the current ASEAN chair, also urged the international community to consider lifting sanctions after the Burmese by-elections in which at least 40 of 44 contested seats were won by the National League for Democracy. The group's leader, long-time political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, who will enter parliament for the first time, said Monday she hoped the result will mark the beginning of a new era for Burma.