Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said that the non-intervention policy of Asean is not helping to serve regional interests.

bukit gantang by election anwar ceramah 030409 09 "We need to work together in Asean for regional stability and prosperity. Political progress in Burma is an integral part of this, including the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners," he added.

Anwar was among the more than 100 former political prisoners around the world who have called for the release of Burmese pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi.

According to Amnesty International, the former prisoners had recently added their names to a statement calling for her release as well as for the United Nations Security Council to establish a global arms embargo on Burma.

aung san su kyi trial in burma myanmar 260509 01 Suu Kyi is currently being prosecuted by the authorities in Burma for violating the terms of her house arrest, after an American man swam across a lake to visit her house in early May. For this, she faces up to five years in prison.

The former political prisoners calling for the release come from over 20 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

They have all signed a special 64 word message to Aung San Suu Kyi to mark her 64th birthday on June 19 (her 14th in detention).

The message read: "The continued denial of your freedom unacceptably attacks the human rights of all 2,156 political prisoners in Myanmar (Burma). As those also incarcerated for our political beliefs, we share the world's outrage. We call on the United Nations Security Council to press the Myanmar (Burmese) government to immediately release all political prisoners, and to restrict the weapons that strengthen its hand through a global arms embargo."

Continued detention shames Asia

Several of the signatories are themselves under house arrest in China, including Yuan Weijing and Zeng Jinyan.

myanmar burma aung san su kyi trial 250509 02 Others who have added their names Ingrid Betancourt, former senator and Nobel Peace Prize nominee kidnapped by the Colombian FARDC, Dr Kim Dae-jung, former president of the Republic of Korea and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Lech Walesa, former president of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Shirin Ebadi, lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Shao Jiang, a Tiananmen survivor, Terry Waite, the British humanitarian and author, Vaclav Havel, writer and former president of the Czech Republic and Yuri Feodorovich Orlov, nuclear physicist and former Soviet dissident.

Meanwhile, Kim said: "Aung San Suu Kyi's continued detention shames Asia."

Shirin Ebadi, on the other hand, described Suu Kyi as an inspiration to all of them. "We want to let her know that she is not alone during her trial and continuing detention."

"As a survivor of Tiananmen Square, I know the true value of democracy and freedom, and the need to release all political prisoners in Burma," added Shao Jiang.