The European Union is calling on Burma's military government to release five detained pro-democracy activists.
EU officials said in a statement issued on Thursday that the arrests are cause for deep concern.
They say a genuine process of democratization can only be achieved by dialogue between the government and other political or societal forces.
Burmese authorities arrested at least five democracy activists late last month just prior to a ceremony in Rangoon marking the 18th anniversary of the founding of the National League for Democracy. The arrests have drawn criticism from the
international community.
The NLD won national elections by a landslide in 1990, but Burma's military did not allow it to assume power. Party leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been in detention for 10 of the 16 years since then.
