US sees junta role in Suu Kyi's ambush

The State Department called on the Myanmar government to provide a full account of the incident last Friday, in which diplomats believe Suu Kyi may have been injured.

Soon after the incident in the north of the country the authorities took Suu Kyi into what they called "protective custody." She has not had access to visitors since.

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State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said in a statement that officials of the US embassy in Yangon had gone to the scene of the incident to investigate.

"Their findings indicate that there was a premeditated ambush on Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade. Circumstances and reports from individuals in the region indicate that the attack was conducted by government-affiliated thugs," he said.

"We call on the ruling State Peace and Development Council (military rulers) in Burma to provide a full accounting of the dead, injured, and missing," he added. Washington uses the old name Burma as a sign of displeasure with the government.

Reeker again called for the release of Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy, saying it was "outrageous and unacceptable" to detain them in isolation.

He said the authorities must allow visiting UN envoy Razali Ismail to visit Suu Kyi.

"If Ambassador Razali is not able to meet privately with Aung San Suu Kyi, the United States will need to evaluate the utility of this UN-sponsored effort to support national reconciliation in Burma," the spokesman added.

On Wednesday US lawmakers introduced bills in the US Congress aimed at banning all imports from Myanmar in response to the attack on Suu Kyi.

AFP adds: The UN secretary-general's special envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail arrived here Friday on his tenth and most crucial mission, seeking to visit detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and request her release.

Myanmar's deputy foreign minister Khin Maung Win and diplomats greeted Razali, who left the airport in a motorcade shortly afterwards.