Annan Calls for Freedom of Myanmar Activist on Her Sixtieth Birthday
New York, Jun 16 2005 2:00PM
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).
ENDS