Suu Kyi wants NZ's help - Street

Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi wants New Zealand to help bring democracy to her country, Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman Maryan Street says.

Ms Suu Kyi was recently released from house arrest after seven years of detention.

The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years because of the military government's concerns about her popularity.

A week before her release last month, a military-backed political party swept the first elections in 20 years amid widespread accusations that the balloting was rigged. Final results have yet to be announced, but some military candidates grabbed 90 per cent and more of the votes in their constituencies.

Ms Street spoke to Ms Suu Kyi for 20 minutes last night.

The two discussed how New Zealand could help with peaceful democratic reform.

"She said that New Zealand's relationships with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) nations would be most important in building support in the region for peaceful democratic reform in Burma," Ms Street said.

The Government should use its diplomatic relations to work with Myanmar's neighbours and build a consensus on the need for democracy there, she said.

"We sit as an adjunct member of Asean and enjoy good relations with its individual member states. It is time to use that goodwill to advance the security of the region by helping Suu Kyi achieve peaceful reform in Burma."

Meanwhile, the Government has agreed to a recommendation by Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully to refer to Myanmar as Burma.

The Asian nation was known as Burma until 1989 when the military government officially changed it to Myanmar.

Mr McCully said today the commitment had been made while National was in opposition.

"Cabinet formally agreed that New Zealand would adopt a general practice of using the term `Burma'," he said.

"This was an expression of solidarity with those who advocate a return for democracy in Burma, Myanmar being the name adopted by the military regime."

Mr McCully said the decision placed New Zealand in broadly the same position as the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, and in an identical position to Australia.

"The New Zealand position also places us in support of Aung San Suu Kyi and the opposition movement in Burma who use the term `Burma' because they do not accept the legitimacy of the military regime who purported to change the name," he said.

- NZPA