Suu Kyi remains in detention without international pressure

Suu Kyi remains in detention without international pressure
by -
Loa Htaw
Pro-democracy leader and Noble Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi will not be released from detention unless there is international pressure on the Burmese military junta, said Burmese analysts.

Pro-democracy leader and Noble Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi will not be released from detention unless there is international pressure on the Burmese military junta, said Burmese analysts.

If the international community does not highlight the issue of Suu Kyi's detention and push the junta to release her, she will remain under house arrest until 2010, said an ethnic leader and former political prisoner.

The regime announced holding of general elections in 2010 while announcing the recently concluded referendum. Over 92.48 percent of the voters approved the draft constitution according to the announcement by the Commission for Holding the Referendum of the Union of Myanmar yesterday.

"The country is facing a difficult situation. The regime will keep her in detention to stay in power," said the leader. "Unless international pressure is applied on the junta, Suu Kyi will not be released till the regime concludes the elections," he said.

The deadline for keeping Suu Kyi under house arrest expired on May 24. However the Burmese military government has still kept her in detention, he said.

According to the military government "law", no one can be held longer than five years without being released or put on trial. "Whatever their law is they (the government) will never follow it," he said.

Suu Kyi is now 62 years and she was last put under house arrest in May 2003. She has been in detention for 12 of the past 18 years that she has been in Burma for leading an internationally hailed movement for democracy in Myanmar , which has been ruled by the military with an iron fist since 1962.