BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hopes to meet pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, but the Myanmar military regime has yet to agree to that, The Straits Times has learnt.Thailand’s Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was scheduled to meet the regime’s supremo, Senior General Than Shwe, yesterday afternoon in Naypyidaw, a Myanmar official was quoted as saying.

But the meeting – the first between a member of the Thai royalty and the junta chief – is unlikely to have any bearing on Mr Abhisit’s plans. Thailand’s royal family normally does not engage in politics or foreign policy.

The Crown Princess is in Myanmar on a goodwill trip, during which she will visit the Irrawaddy delta south of Yangon to witness development work in areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

Myanmar is preparing for an election this year – the first since 1990.

But election laws clearly favour the ruling military’s own agenda, which is to ensure that it remains the real power behind a facade of democracy.

The laws also appear to rule out any participation in the election process by Ms Suu Kyi, who has been in some form of detention for most of the last 20 years.

When asked in an interview last Friday whether the election would be credible while Ms Suu Kyi was still under detention, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said: ‘I think (it) would not be free and fair.’