U.S. President Barack Obama met with South-East Asian leaders in Singapore on Sunday, urging the release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Obama did not speak or shake hands with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein at the meeting in Singapore's Shangri-la hotel with ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations; instead, he joined the tradition of linking arms for a photo.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that Obama reiterated his call for Suu Kyi to be freed, although a statement to be issued after the meeting did not demand her release or that of other political prisoners.

The meeting in Singapore marked the first time in history a U.S. leader met with leaders in the 42-year-old group, founded at the height of the Vietnam War.

[Barack Obama, U.S. President]:
"We discussed the importance of meeting common challenges including climate change, nuclear proliferation, working together in support of G20 efforts to promote a sustained and balanced global economic recovery. I reaffirmed the policy that I put forward yesterday in Tokyo with regard to Burma."

For the first time in decades, the U.S. and ASEAN are singing from the same hymn book when it comes to Burma. Washington recently took a two-prong approach, engaging the junta whilst keeping sanctions.

For years, ASEAN was heavily criticized in the West for its own fruitless engagement policy with Burmese generals. Now it is hoping that with U.S. support, Burma can be guided back to democracy.

Suu Kyi has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years and remains under house arrest.

She has been allowed to meet U.S. diplomats and last week expressed hopes those contacts would lead to democratic reforms.

ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan says the meeting was upbeat, with Obama saying the U.S. could be like "family" to the ASEAN community. Obama did not mention Aung San Suu Kyi's name during the meeting.

[Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN Secretary-General]:
“He said all political prisoners.”

Obama later met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono before leaving for China.