Myanmar's military government freed Suu Kyi, 65, who has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years, after her latest term of detention expired.
Global leaders and fellow Nobel laureates today welcomed the release of Burmese democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, hoping that it will pave the way for restoration of real democracy in the country.
Myanmar's military government freed the 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years, after her latest term of detention expired.
US President Barack Obama, his Democratic party predecessor Bill Clinton, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, and as many as six women peace laureates celebrated the release of Suu Kyi.
Obama, who is on the last leg of his 10-day tour of four Asian democratic countries, called Suu Kyi "a hero of mine". He said that the popular pro-democracy leader is a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in and around the world.
“The United States welcomes her long overdue release,” Obama said in a statement soon after her release.'
"Whether Aung San Suu Kyi is living in the prison of her house, or the prison of her country, does not change the fact that she, and the political opposition she represents, has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes that could change Burma," he said.
The release from house arrest of one of the world's most prominent political prisoners came a week after an election that was swept by the military's proxy political party and decried by Western nations as a sham designed to perpetuate authoritarian control.
Asking the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners, "not just one", Obama said the US looks forward to the day when all of Burma’s people are free from fear and persecution.
"Following Aung San Suu Kyi’s powerful example, we recommit ourselves to remaining steadfast advocates of freedom and human rights for the Burmese people, and accountability for those who continue to oppress them,” Obama said.
Former US President Clinton said he is thrilled by the news of her release.
Celebrating the freedom for Nobel laureate, Clinton hopped that "this signals a new direction for life within the country and for the country's relations with others beyond their borders."
"In light of recent elections, I also hope that Aung San Suu Kyi's release will lead to the rapid inclusion of her and the Burmese citizens in governance," he said in a statement.
At the UN headquarters in New York, secretary-general Ban Ki-moon expresses his heartfelt best wishes to Suu Kyi.
"Her dignity and courage in the face of injustice have been an inspiration to many people around the world, including the secretary-general, who has long advocated her freedom,” he said in a statement.
"Notwithstanding the welcome news of her release, it is deeply regrettable that Aung San Suu Kyi was effectively excluded from participating in the recent elections," he said.
The UN secretary-general hoped that no further restrictions will be placed on her, as he asked the Myanmar authorities "to build on today’s action by releasing all remaining political prisoners."
He said democracy and national reconciliation require that all citizens are free to participate as they wish in the political life of their country.
Welcoming the release, women Nobel laureates hoped they will soon have the opportunity to meet with her in person.
"For years she has been unjustly confined to her home and denied the opportunity to see her family and friends, to participate in politics and to live in freedom,” they said in a statement.
The pro-democracy leader's defiance gained her fame and honour, most notably the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
"Despite the efforts of the military regime in Burma to deny the people of Burma the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, her strength, vision and faith continued to guide them in their ongoing struggle for rights and democracy," the women Nobel Peace laureates said in a statement.
The last elections in 1990 were won overwhelmingly by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, but the military refused to hand over power and instead clamped down on opponents.
Suu Kyi was convicted last year for breaching the terms of her previous detention by briefly sheltering an American who swam uninvited to her lakeside home, extending a period of continuous detention that began in 2003.
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