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U.S. President Barack Obama has urged the military rulers of Burma to release pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
Obama delivered the message in Singapore, where he met Sunday with 10 Southeast Asian leaders, a gathering that included Gen. Thein Sein, the Burmese prime minister.
Afterward, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama told the group of leaders that Burma, also known as Myanmar, should free the long-detained opposition leader and other political prisoners.
Obama "brought that up directly with that government," Gibbs said.
Suu Kyi has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years.
While Burma ranks high among nations that suppress human rights, a joint statement by the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) made no mention of Suu Kyi.
The Burmese government refused to honour the result of the last elections, in 1990, when Suu Kyi's party won by a landslide. It has said next year's elections are a step toward democracy, but has not clarified whether Suu Kyi will be allowed to participate.
With files from The Associated PressShare Tools
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