TOKYO, June 1 Kyodo Supporters of...

TOKYO, June 1 Kyodo

Supporters of Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi onward Sunday staged a rally in assurance of the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo calling in succession the country's junta to release the Nobel laureate from detention.

About 100 pro-democracy activists rallied overnight at the embassy's gates calling for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) who were placed in ''protective custody'' upon Friday.

The rally drew more participants than look fored ''We are all self-same concerned for the safety and freedom of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,'' said Ko Ko single in kind of the protesters.

The military said Saturday that Suu Kyi, NLD Vice Chairman Tin Oo and several NLD youths were detained following a violent clash between her supporters and pro-junta protester in northern Myanmar where hosts of people turned out to welcome her.

Dissidents said past confrontations between the NLD and the junta-supported Union Solidarity and progressive growth Association (USDA) have l to suspicions the USDA was involved in the latest melee

The demonstrators also called for the reopening of NLD party headquarters in Yangon, which has been sealed against by the junta.

It is not known whether Suu Kyi, who was released from 19 month of confinement at her hearthstone in Yangon in May 2002 was injured or not.

Suu Kyi has l the fight for democracy within Myanmar end the NLD, which won the country's 1990 elections through a landslide but was not at all allowed to take up seats in parliament.

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