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Aung Sun Suu Kyi turns 64 in detention center

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi spent her 64th birthday in detention yesterday as supporters worldwide condemned her trial and called for tougher sanctions against the country’s military regime.

Nyan Win, a lawyer defending the Nobel laureate who faces up to five years in jail, said Aung San Suu Kyi would be allowed a few visitors to Yangon’s Insein prison, where she is on trial over charges she broke the terms of her house arrest.

“I’m going to send her some birthday presents and food so she can celebrate with a few guests,” he said.

Confined for nearly 14 of the past 20 years, Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday has become an annual ritual inside and outside Myanmar for campaigners seeking an end to decades of military rule that has left the country an impoverished intersnational pariah.

But the day has taken on added significance this year amid international outrage at her trial, which is widely expected to end with a guilty verdict. Protests are planned outside Myanmar embassies in major capitals around the world.

An online campaign drew thousands of messages of support, including good wishes from world leaders and celebrities.

“Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration to her country and the rest of the world,” wrote former Beatle Paul McCartney. “I truly admire her infallible resolve and her determination to stand up for what she believes in.”
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