Free Suu Kyi, Straw urges Burma

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since May 2003

Jack Straw has repeated calls for Burma's military junta to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, ahead of her 60th birthday on Sunday.

The UK foreign secretary said her treatment had been "indefensible".

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose party won elections in 1990, has been under house arrest since May 2003.

UK officials admit they do not expect Burma's leaders to respond to the plea but say they hope to persuade the EU to strengthen sanctions against them.

Meanwhile, Ms Suu Kyi's supporters are expected to hold a demonstration in her honour outside Burma's London embassy later.

Similar protests are expected to take place at 50 Burmese embassies around the world.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader won the 1990 elections by a landslide but was never allowed to take power.

She has been under house arrest since May 2003, and for two other stretches since 1989.

The military government has said it will release her, along with other political prisoners "when the time is right", but it has not set a date.