US women senators call for immediate release of Suu Kyi
All US women senators on Friday joined hands to appeal to the Myanmar military junta to release democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent her 64th birthday in jail.
"We call upon the regime to release Suu Kyi and all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally and begin a true dialogue on national reconciliation that will lead to a truly representative government," the Women's Caucus of the US Senate, co-chaired by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kay Bailey Hutchison, said in a statement here.
Voicing solidarity with the Nobel Peace laureate, the senators said that the Myanmar's democracy icon spent the day inside prison as she stands trial on "trumped up charges" of violating her house arrest.
"The military junta has tried for years to stifle the will of the people and silence the voice of Suu Kyi through a brutal campaign of violence and oppression," they alleged.
Deploring the continued detention of Suu Kyi, who has spent 13 of the past 19 years under house arrest, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it deserved the full condemnation of the international community.
"A clear message must be sent that Aung San Suu Kyi and all other prisoners of conscience in Burma must be released, immediately and unconditionally," she said.
"Suu Kyi has made every conceivable sacrifice that could be asked from any leader. She has seen her supporters beaten, tortured and killed yet she has never responded to hatred and violence in kind. All she has ever asked for is peaceful dialogue and to play a role in the future of her country," Pelosi said.
In another statement, the state department also appealed to the Myanmar military junta to drop all charges against Suu Kyi and release her immediately.
"We call on the Burmese authorities to drop those charges and release Aung San Suu Kyi immediately," State Department Spokesman, Ian Kelly said.
Supporters of Suu Kyi like former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Sandra Bullock and Daniel Craig took to the Internet to press the military junta to free her.
"We must not stand by as she is silenced again. Now is the time for the international community to speak with one voice: Free Aung San Suu Kyi," their message read.
In another message, woman Nobel Peace Laureates, Maired Maguire, Betty Williams, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and Wangari Maathai also demanded her release.
"Detained against Burma's own laws, your imprisonment and trial are a stark illustration of brutality and lawlessness of the Burmese military regime, which holds over 2000 democracy activists in prison. We look forward to a day when you are finally free," they said.
