6-, 2003 - 08: 0
Annan calls for immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi

United Nations: Concerned over the detention of Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, for the second time this week, has called for the immediate release of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and several other leaders of the National League for Democracy.

'The Secretary-General continues to be gravely concerned about the continued incommunicado detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the NLD, and is particularly troubled by reports of injuries suffered by them', a UN spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

'He fully expects that his special envoy will be allowed to meet all his interlocutors, and that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD members will be released without further delay', he said.

The statement said the UN had not received confirmation that the Government would allow special envoy Razali Ismail to meet with Suu Kyi, but he met with the Foreign Minister and registered an official request to see her.

'At these meetings, he is emphasizing the need to release immediately all those detained since May 30', the statement said. 'He will also convey the international community's concern at the events of May 30 (when the detentions occurred), and will impress upon his interlocutors the need to start a substantive dialogue between the government and the NLD.