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US First Lady Laura Bush said Tuesday that the United States would work with other UN Security Council members to craft a tough UN Security Council resolution on Myanmar and get a vote soon.
"The sooner the better it would be. I think that is part of the pressure" she said as she wrapped up a roundtable on the situation in Myanmar on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
"I can tell you that the United States will work very hard with other members of the Security Council to get a good resolution," she said, accusing the military leaders in Yangon of "terrible mistreatment of their citizens."
Washington has led efforts to force Yangon to change its repressive policies and notably release democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for most of the past 17 years.
Myanmar in May extended her detention for another year, defying an international outcry demanding freedom for the 61-year-old Nobel peace laureate.
"Because of the attention that she gets from people around the world, we also now look at Burma and we want to see what we can do -- is there anything we can do to make sure she, as well as all the other political prisoners, are released, and that her country can reconcile," said Bush.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won 1990 elections but was never allowed to rule. Its offices have been shut down by the junta, which has also locked up many other party members.
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AFP 192102 GMT 09 06
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