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t is in the interests of the ASEAN community to help Myanmar hold fair, free and transparent elections this year, to return democracy and peace to the country, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya says.

The visiting Thai foreign minister said in an interview here Sunday that as the two most democratic members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thailand and Indonesia could help Myanmar achieve this goal.   

“Without being seen as interfering in Myanmar’s domestic issues, as friends and members of the ASEAN family we would like to see national reconciliation and peace in Myanmar. Holding free and fair elections will allow the country to bring peace and reconciliation back,” he said.

Piromya said a stable and democratic Myanmar would be of benefit to Thailand (which shares borders with the reclusive country) as well as to ASEAN in general.

Kasit said Thailand would offer training for Myanmarese officials to make sure the elections ran according to democratic principles.

“We will even provide observers for the elections,” he said.

Myanmar’s military ruler said last Friday that the long-awaited elections planned for some time this year would take place “soon” but declined to say when exactly.

Myanmar’s military government announced in early 2008 that the country’s first election in two decades would take place in 2010. But the junta still needs to pass necessary election laws to pave the way for the vote and then set a date.

“A free and fair election will take place soon,” Senior Gen. Than Shwe said in his annual message to mark the national holiday Union Day last Friday.

Seemingly signaling their intentions, Myanmar’s ruling junta released the deputy leader of the country’s pro-democracy party from nearly 7 years in detention, but offered no indication if he or the still-detained party leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, would be allowed to take part in this year’s elections.

The release on Saturday of 82-year-old Tin Oo, who helped found the National League for Democracy with Suu Kyi, comes shortly before a UN envoy visits Myanmar (also known as Burma), to evaluate the regime’s progress on human rights.

Indonesia has voiced the need for Myanmar to include Suu Kyi and her party in the election, as well as to guarantee fair and transparent elections, vowing also that it was ready to send observers to Myanmar if asked by the junta.

However, Indonesia was also very careful to avoid being seen as meddling in Myanmar’s domestic affairs, with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa saying in an interview with The Jakarta Post that Indonesia chose to include those not considered democratic in the ASEAN process.

Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, has not yet decided whether to take part in the elections, saying the new 2008 constitution is unfair and will perpetuate military rule — a claim echoed by international rights groups.

Piromya said his two-day visit beginning Sunday was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Thailand as well as discussing with Marty ways to help solve regional and multilateral issues.