New Delhi - Burma's prominent student leader Min Ko Naing under detention is said to be suffering from a serious eye problem that requires immediate medical attention, Thailand based Assistant Association for Political Prisoners – Burma (AAPP) said.

The AAPP on Friday said it has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to pressure the junta to arrange for immediate medical treatment for Min Ko Naing, who has been suffering from the eye problem since the past three weeks.

Citing sources in Burma, the AAPP secretary Tate Naing said, "Though the authorities earlier said that it would allow treatment outside the prison in mid-April, they have again postponed it to next month."

"If the treatment is delayed until next month, his [Min Ko Naing] situation will worsen. So we are urging the international community to pressure the junta for timely treatment," Tate Naing said.

Tate Naing said despite Min Ko Naing's complaint regarding his eye problem, prison authorities did not provide effective medical treatment.

Min Ko Naing, Burma's most prominent student leader, was arrested on August 21, 2007 along with 12 other colleagues after he participated in a peaceful march on August 19 over the sudden oil price hike, that triggered wide-spread protests later.

Due to lack of adequate and effective medical treatment in Burma's prisons, an 88 generation student Hla Myo Naung housed in Insein prison in Rangoon has reportedly lost his sight in one eye. Similarly, Than Lwin, an elected Member of Parliament in the 1990 election, also lost his sight in one of his eyes while he was detained in Mandalay's Ohn Bo prison.