Anti-junta protests mark Suu Kyi's birthday

In Washington, President Bush added his voice to the worldwide chorus of those demanding Yangon's generals release the Nobel Laureate from house arrest, and honour the results of 1990 elections they lost by a landslide.

Given the isolation and intransigence of those in charge of the former British colony, which has been under military rule for more than four decades, making noises and gestures from afar is just about all the junta's opponents can do.

"I send my best wishes to Aung San Suu Kyi for her 60th birthday," Bush said in a statement echoing the thoughts of other leaders and Nobel Laureates, including South African archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.

"Her strength, courage, and personal sacrifice in standing up for the oppressed people of Burma have inspired those who stand for freedom," Bush said.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was among those appealing yet again for the release of Suu Kyi, who has spent nine of the last 16 years behind bars or under house arrest. Her latest stretch of detention began in May 2003.

In Myanmar's leafy capital Yangon, where roadblocks around Suu Kyi's lakeside home keep away everybody except for her doctor, around 500 people met at the dilapidated headquarters of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.