UN chief seeks release of Suu Kyi and other prisoners

United Nations, Jan 9 (UNI) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called upon Myanmar authorities to free all prisoners, including democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for 10 of the past 16 years.

He hailed reports earlier in the week that said Yangon had released dozens of jailed persons.

''The Secretary General has taken note of the decision by the government of Myanmar January 3 to grant amnesty to 2,831 prisoners. He welcomes reports that this includes the release of up to 40 political prisoners,'' the UN chief's spokesperson said in a statement in New York yesterday.

''The secretary-general urges the Myanmar authorities to go beyond this first step by releasing all other political prisoners in the country, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and by making further concrete progress on all of the issues raised in the context of his good offices, the statement added.

This is the latest UN effort to win the release of Ms Suu Kyi and follows a four-day visit of Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari to the Southeast Asian nation in November last.

Mr Gambari has also called for the release of political prisoners and advised Myanmar to begin a democratic political process and take ''concrete steps'' to focus on other areas of global concern, including hostilities against minorities in the country.

UNI