A group of Burmese nationals demonstrated outside their diplomatic mission in Kuala Lumpur today to protest against the detention of democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma. (*)

She was arrested last Friday and is being held incommunicado in a secret location by the ruling military junta, which has claimed that this is for her own protection.

'Assassination attempt'

About 50 people - representing the Burma Solidarity Group of Malaysia (BSGM) - gathered outside the embassy off Jalan Ampang carrying posters of Suu Kyi.

The demonstrators also carried banners which read, "Burma is a terrorist state" and "We want freedom in our country".

In a memorandum that was submitted to the embassy, BSGM said it was "shocked and appalled" at the Burmese government's treatment of Suu Kyi and her supporters..

"We also condemn the action of the Burmese military junta for an assassination attempt against the leader of Burma's democracy movement last Friday and the reported killing of several persons and injury of dozens more," it says.

The BSGM further said it was concerned over news that offices of Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) had been raided and closed.

"The recent actions by the military show that it was insincere and that it was lying when it promised 'a new page' for the Burmese people when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest last year," the organisation said.

"We appeal to you to respect the wishes of the general populace of Burma."

According to BSGM co-ordinator Minn Kyaw, the crackdown in Burma late last week was the regime's "most brutal" in recent years.

He said the action by the junta against the opposition leaders showed the insincerity of the Rangoon government when it promised last year to participate in United Nations-facilitated talks.

"However, over the past year, the regime has repeatedly snubbed UN Special Envoy for Burma Razali Ismail ( photo ) by refusing to begin talks... This latest outrage proves again that Burma's regime has lied to the international community and the Burmese people," he said.

Political persecution

Another protester, Abdul Aziz said the gathering at the embassy was intended to draw attention to the worsening situation in Burma.

"We want the Burmese junta to free Aung San Suu Kyi and allow democracy in Burma. We also want people to know that we have escaped from political persecution in our own country," he said, adding that most Burmese asylum seekers have been forced to live undocumented in Malaysia.

Asked if he was concerned that he may be arrested by authorities while demonstrating, he replied: "Our demonstration was a peaceful one and no police or immigration people came. We are afraid of being arrested but what can we do? We have to let people know of our situation."

Although representatives of the embassy met briefly with the protesters, none were available for comment.

Suu Kyi 'injured'

The arrest of Suu Kyi and scores of her supporters last Friday has refocused world attention on Burma's political situation.

The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner was released from 20 months of house arrest a year ago and her re-arrest has dashed hopes for the UN-brokered national reconciliation talks.

Since last Friday, Suu Kyi had been held by the Burmese authorities in a secret location at the capital city while several NLD leaders are said to have been detained in Rangoon's Insein prison.

The BBC reported today that the Suu Kyi had sustained injuries during last week's confrontation and is currently receiving medical attention.

However, the Burmese government denied this yesterday, saying that she was healthy and that she was being held to ensure her personal safety.

[*Note: Since 1989, Burma has been renamed Myanmar by the military government. However, many (including malaysiakini

) have not embraced the name change as the decision was made by an illegal and illegitimate government.]