International Calls for Release of Pro-Democracy Activist Aung San Suu Kyi

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar used the the sixty-fifth birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi to call for her release from house arrest by the government of Myanmar, along with the release of other prisoners of conscience.  (The UK Foreign Office also called for her immediate release on Friday.)  Ms. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for approximately 14 of the past 20 years for her leadership of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar.  She has been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.  The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found Ms. Suu Kyi's detention to be arbitrary and has repeatedly called on the government of Myanmar to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which prohibits arbitrary arrests and detentions.  The government of Myanmar has reportedly said that she will be released in November, after the next elections in October.

(cgb)