Female members of the Oireachtas have expressed their solidarity with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The members of the Oireachtas chose to highlight the Burmese democracy leader's continuing house arrest to mark this year's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony that takes place tomorrow in Oslo, Norway.
In their statement the Oirechtas members said, "We members of the Oireachtas, remember Aung San Suu Kyi, the only Nobel Peace Laureate currently deprived of her liberty. Leader of Burma's democracy movement and Freewoman of the City of Dublin, Ms Suu Kyi has served over nine years under house arrest for championing the democratic aspirations of Burma's peoples.
"We further remember sixteen parliamentary colleagues of Ms Suu Kyi, who languish in Burma's notorious jails. Today as fellow parliamentarians, we call upon Burma's military regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi and those duly elected members of parliament who strive for a peaceful transition to a democratic Burma."
The 1999 Nobel Peace Laureate and leader of Burma's democracy movement recently learned that her detention is to be extended for a further year.
Her National League for Democracy (NLD) is the largest pro-democracy group in Burma and won the last free election in 1990. The NLD have been consistently denied power by the military junta in Burma.
Female members of the Oireachtas who gathered to show their support with Ms Suu Kyi, included deputies Ms Liz McManus, Ms Máire Hoctor, Ms Fiona O'Malley, Ms Joan Burton, Ms Cecilia Keavney, Ms Marian Harkin and Senators Ms Mary O'Rourke, Ms Mary White, Ms Ann Ormonde and Ms Geraldine Feeney.
Burma Ireland chairman Mr Hugh Baxter said: "Recent developments indicate that Burma's military junta intend to hold Aung San Suu Kyi captive for a prolonged period. It is imperative to maintain concerted international pressure on the generals to secure her release."
This year's Nobel Peace Prize is to be awarded to Prof Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmentalist, who is the first African woman to receive the prize.