At least 300 Burmese activists gathered today in Rangoon at the home of a jailed political activist to demand his release and freedom for four other prisoners.
The activists held a religious ceremony to mark Min Ko Naing's birthday. He is 44.
Witnesses said plainclothes police officers monitored the event but they did not take any action.
Organizers called on supporters to wear white shirts in sympathy. They also said they had collected 270,000 signatures for a petition to demand the release of all political prisoners in the country.
Min Ko Naing served 10 years in prison for helping to organize massive pro democracy protests in 1988. The protests sparked a brutal crackdown by Burma's military government. Authorities released him last year, but they detained him and
others again for what officials called a precaution against instability.
Information for this report is provided by AP and AFP.
