[JURIST] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour [official profile] Monday called for the government of Myanmar [government website; JURIST news archive] to unconditionally release [statement] pro-democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy [Wikipedia backgrounder], has spent 11 of the past 17 years in prison or under house arrest for alleged violations of an anti-subversion law [text]. Suu Kyi's house arrest is set to end on May 27, but it is widely expected to be extended.

At various protests last week, activists calling for Suu Kyi's release were briefly arrested [JURIST report] by the military government. Suu Kyi is prohibited from having any telephone conversations or outside visitors other than her housemaid or doctor. The UN News Service has more.