U.S. watching post-Suu Kyi Myanmar

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Washington is watching the military junta's reaction to the release of Aung San Suu Kyi very closely, the U.S. State Department said.

Authorities in Myanmar released Suu Kyi, a pro-democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, last weekend. She spent the bulk of the last 20 years under house arrest and endured through various additional arrests and false starts to a formal release.

"We don't want to see that happen," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley during his regular press briefing.

Suu Kyi was barred from taking part in the political process when authorities ruled that those with criminal records couldn't play a role in politics. The decision effectively dissolved her National League for Democracy.

Myanmar had its first general election in nearly 20 years last week, though international observers said it was a sham.

Crowley said Washington was interested in engagement with Myanmar but was closely watching its behavior in the wake of the Suu Kyi release.

"We do plan to engage Myanmar and see what it plans to do with other political prisoners, what it plans to do in terms of engaging ethnic groups within its society and we'll respond accordingly," the spokesman said.

Human rights groups complain that despite the release of Suu Kyi, there are more than 2,000 political prisoners still held by Myanmar authorities.