Designed by Ko Ko Lay (SF)

President Bush has sent his best wishes to Burmese opposition activist Aung San Suu Kyi, as she prepares to spend her 60th birthday Sunday under house arrest at her Rangoon home.

In a statement Friday, Mr. Bush said the Burmese pro-democracy leader's "strength, courage, and personal sacrifice" have inspired those who stand for freedom. Meanwhile, the Nobel Committee has called for her immediate release.

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights. Her pro-democracy party won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but Burma's military junta never allowed the winners to take office.

Malaysia, Britain and the United Nations have joined human rights activists worldwide who are calling for her release.