International former leaders call for release of Aung San Suu Kyi
A total of 59 former head of state on Tuesday called Burma to release the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung Sann Suu Kyi.
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, who is founder and president of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights released a letter signed by 59 former heads of state urging the Burmese junta leaders to free Suu Kyi.
The signatures come former leaders from Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South. In a highly unsual move, this larger group of leaders across the political spectrum joined together on the effort, showing the unanimity of world opinion on the matter.
From Southeast Asia, leaders included former prime minister Chuan Leekpai, Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamed, Cambodian prime minister Ung Huot, former Indonesian presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Suikarnoputri, Filipino former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos. The letter came about when Suu Kyi's current term of incarceration would end on May 27 and that the UN Secretary generally Ban Ki-moon has publicly called for her release in January but received no response. The Nation
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