Suu Kyi's conviction a violation of human rights: Rice

"The Burmese regime should immediately and unconditionally release her and the more than 2,100 other political prisoners currently being held," she said.

Rice said this in a statement soon after the UN Security Council expressed serious concern over the conviction and sentencing of Suu Kyi and called on the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners and create the necessary conditions for genuine dialogue in order to achieve national reconciliation.

"Aung San Suu Kyi's sentencing also precludes her from taking part in the elections scheduled for next year, and thus undermines the legitimacy of those elections," she said.

"As President Obama said earlier this week, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.

"Rather than using this moment to create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue and inclusive political process with all actors, the Burmese authorities have now moved further away from national reconciliation and deepened their isolation from the rest of the world," Rice said.