Myanmar may set Suu Kyi free by Oct: Jakarta

But the public comments by Hassan Wirajuda, at a meeting of Asian and African officials in the West Java city of Bandung, appeared to catch his Myanmar counterpart Win Aung by surprise.

Win Aung would only say Suu Kyi's arrest would not be prolonged.

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Wirajuda told reporters Indonesia, which currently chairs the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations, was also "heading" in the direction of mediating Myanmar's political crisis.

"The Myanmar side has told Indonesia they hope that before the ASEAN summit, this problem will be resolved. We have received a guarantee that the Aung San Suu Kyi case will be over before the ASEAN summit," Wirajuda said on the sidelines of the Bandung meeting.

The 58-year-old Nobel Peace laureate was arrested on May 30 after a clash between her supporters and pro-government groups, drawing international condemnation. This week the United States imposed fresh economic sanctions on the troubled country.

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Wednesday that rights abuses in Myanmar had risen sharply since her detention.

Win Aung told reporters he did not know why Wirajuda made his comments. He did not appear irritated.

Asked if Suu Kyi would be freed by October, Win Aung said:

"May I say there is only one thing that I will tell you, we don't have any intention to prolong that arrangement."

Wirajuda did not say if Myanmar's timeframe was acceptable to ASEAN, but made clear the organization could not ignore an issue that has stained its image.

ASEAN, which holds its annual summit on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on October 7-8, is one of few groups that accepts Myanmar as a member. Last month it gave Yangon an unprecedented rebuke over Suu Kyi.