U.S. demands democracy in Myanmar

WASHINGTON, May 28 (UPI) -- The United States urged the Myanmar junta Friday to take immediate steps to restore democracy and release political prisoners.

In a statement issued in Washington on the first anniversary of a government-orchestrated attack on the opposition, the State Department said the junta must take "immediate steps lead(ing) to a broad-based, democratic government."

"We urge the junta also to release Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin Oo and more than 1,000 other political prisoners."

The U.S. administration demanded that Myanmar allow the opposition National League for Democracy to reopen their offices and engage the opposition and ethnic groups in "a substantive dialogue."

On May 30, 2003, government supporters attacked democratic opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her followers as they were traveling near Depeyin.

Aung San Suu Kyi and another senior opposition leader U Tin Oo remain under house arrest.

"Now one year later, the people of Burma (now Myanmar)are no closer to reconciliation or accountability for human rights abuses," the State Department noted.

The junta has not yet accounted for the dead, injured, and missing from the May 2003 attack, despite calls from the international community, the statement said.