Global plans for birthday of Myanmar's Suu Kyi: supporters
AFP
YANGON- Supporters of Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi made preparations around the world Thursday to mark her 64th birthday, with calls for her release from jail as she faces trial by the ruling junta.
The Nobel laureate is set to spend her birthday on Friday at Yangon's notorious Insein prison, where she is being held on charges of violating her house arrest after an American man swam to her lakeside house.
In Yangon, NLD members were making preparations at party headquarters for a similar celebration to those in previous years, including giving breakfast to Buddhist monks.
"We have to hold the birthday party without the host again. We would be very happy if she could be released, we are hoping and praying for this," senior party member Lei Lei told AFP.
"We will offer a dawn meal to five monks early in the morning to mark Daw Suu's birthday. After that we will release balloons, doves and sparrows before the small party starts," said May Win Myint, another senior party member.
She said the party's youth would honour their leader by singing the poem "If", by Rudyard Kipling, which Aung San Suu Kyi translated into Burmese.
May Win Myint, who spent around 11 years in Insein prison for her political activities until her release in September 2008, said "I do not want anyone to be in that jail."
"Not only NLD members but also the people who love her are praying for her release," she added.
Campaigners across the world will mark the day with events ranging from live music and speeches in Malaysia, evening vigils in Ireland and Australia and debating forums in Thailand.
The website "64 for Suu" was set up to gather birthday wishes -- including many via Twitter and YouTube -- and has so far received around 10,000.
Famous names who have sent messages demanding her release include British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, footballer David Beckham and US actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
A global petition was delivered on Monday to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, signed by more than 670,000 people from 220 countries, calling for the release of all Myanmar's political prisoners, especially Aung San Suu Kyi.
She faces five years in jail if convicted in her trial, which resumes on June 26. The court case has provoked international outrage and has been described as a "show trial" by US President Barack Obama.
Aung San Suu Kyi is the only winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, which she was awarded in 1991, currently to be in detention.
Myanmar's top court agreed on Wednesday to hear an appeal by her lawyers to overturn a ban on two witnesses at her trial, although an appeal date has not yet been set.
Western diplomats in Yangon have said a string of delayed court dates is a sign that the ruling generals are seeking to stall the proceedings in a bid to fend off global outrage over the trial.
UN human rights experts in Geneva on Tuesday issued fresh condemnation of the trial, saying that the junta was allowing "flagrant" rights violations in the proceedings and calling for full media access to be granted at the court.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------