A top member of the US Congress says he will lead a protest in front of the Burmese embassy in Washington D.C. to demand the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Democratic Representative Tom Lantos of California says he plans to deliver six thousand birthday cards for the Nobel Prize winner at Friday's demonstration.

Other protests will be held at a dozen Burmese embassies worldwide, including those in London, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Pretoria.

Fourteen Nobel Laureates have also released a joint statement, calling on the international community to maintain pressure on Burma's military rulers to release political prisoners.