Aung San Suu Kyi Update: Military Dictators Extend Her Detention

From an article in the LA Times: "The Myanmar government today extended the house arrest of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi despite intense international pressure and a personal appeal from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Suu Kyi, who advocates peaceful change to bring democracy to the country, has been detained for more than 10 of the last 17 years. She was last arrested three years ago after her motorcade was attacked in an apparent attempt to assassinate her. Her detention had been due to expire today. For many, Suu Kyi embodies the democracy movement in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and the decision of the military regime to detain her for an additional period of at least six months was a major setback for the opposition. Annan, making a rare televised appeal to the leader of a U.N. member nation, had called on Myanmar Sr. Gen. Than Shwe to free Suu Kyi and allow her party, the National League for Democracy, to participate in rebuilding the country. 'For the democratic process and the reconciliation process to be truly successful, it has to be inclusive,' Annan said during a stop in Thailand. 'And she has a role to play. And I'm relying on you, Gen. Than Shwe, to do the right thing.'" Burma Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi Politics