Wish arrested leader 'happy birthday' call

AUNG San Suu Kyi should be sent a birthday card by the city, an ex-Lord Provost said today.

The Burma pro-democracy opposition leader, who has been under house arrest for most of the past 20 years, is 65 in June.

And Labour councillor Lesley Hinds, who was Lord Provost when the democratic campaigner was given the freedom of the city in 2005, has called for current Lord Provost George Grubb to send greetings from the city.

And she also wants Cllr Grubb or council leader Jenny Dawe to contact new Foreign Secretary William Hague to "ensure the continued support of the British Government in working for her release".

In a motion to be discussed at Thursday's full council meeting, Cllr Hinds said: "Council deplores the injustice and inhumanity of her treatment and the suppression of her democratic right to freedom of assembly and expression of thought."