More on Aung San Suu Kyi

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      WASHINGTON (Reuter) - President Clinton Monday welcomed the release
of Burmese Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi after almost six years
under house arrest.

    The White House said in a statement that Clinton was gratified by the
release and hoped she would be able to participate freely in political
reconciliation in Burma leading to the installation of a
democratically-elected government.

    But it said that ``even while welcoming her release, President Clinton
expressed concern about a number of serious and unresolved human rights
problems in Burma.''

    It cited the continued detention of other political prisoners, the
failure to allow the International Red Cross to visit prisoners and
continuing military campaigns against ethnic minorities.

    The State Department said it hoped Aung San Suu Kyi's release signaled
``the Burmese government's commitment to free all political prisoners and
engage in a genuine political dialogue with all political forces in
Burma.''

    Before improving ties with Rangoon, Washington wanted to be sure there
was ``a genuine effort to try to improve the political situation in Burma,
and to permit a much greater measure of political expression'', spokesman
Nicholas Burns said.

    A U.S. congressman who was the first foreigner to visit  Aung San Suu
Kyi during her detention said Monday he was surprised and pleased by her
release.

    ``I am enormously pleased and surprised by her release. When I went to
Burma two weeks ago every expectation was that she would be detained
indefinitely,'' New Mexico Democrat Bill Richardson told Reuters.

    Richardson, who visited Aung San Suu Kyi in February last year but was
denied access last month, said the move was a step in the right direction
and deserved credit. He said he hoped it would lead to more steps towards
democracy in Burma.

    ``I think the significance is that Aung San Suu Kyi can now take her
rightful role as the leader of the pro-democracy movement in Burma since
she was released unconditionally,'' he said.