Global perspective Human stories

Secretary-General calls for freedom of Myanmar activist on her sixtieth birthday

Secretary-General calls for freedom of Myanmar activist on her sixtieth birthday

media:entermedia_image:06d63ec9-c6b2-4d78-8569-5c4539145cd4
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today marked the sixtieth birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, by appealing to the military Government of the country for the end of her house arrest.

Wishing her a happy birthday as he spoke to reporters upon entering UN Headquarters this morning, Mr. Annan added, "I wish she were out amongst her people and her supporters, pushing for stability and democracy and democratization of her society."

As he recalled his appeals to Myanmar's leader General Than Shwe, the Secretary-General said, "I will still urge him to release her and let her join her party, and join the process on the national dialogue and national reconciliation."

Over the past several years Mr. Annan, in concert with his Special Envoy Razali Ismail, has been pushing the Government of the South Asian country to allow a role for opposition parties such as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).