Those arrested at yesterday's protest outside the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur were not armed or dangerous and therefore should be released immediately, said DAP Socialist Youth chief Nga Kor Ming.

"Release them. While being detained now, they should be given proper treatment," Nga urged when leading a 12-member delegation to submit a memorandum to the embassy this morning.

"We also want the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to be allowed to visit the Burmese detainees," added the Pantai Remis (Perak) state assemblyperson.

He also urged the police and the Malaysian government to treat foreigners wishing to conduct protests the same way they would local demonstrators.

When told that locals are also arrested or dispersed violently by the police, Nga said this should change as there have been recommendations by the Royal Police Commission that the law be revised to allow peaceful protests without the need for a police permit.

"Section 27 of the Police Act (1967) must be repealed," he added. The section requires a police permit to hold gatherings.

Yesterday, 64 Burmese protestors, including a woman, were arrested for illegal assembly outside the mission. Four more surrendered at the Pudu police station later.

Met outside the embassy today, Pudu police station chief Mohd Asri Mohd Yunus said the detainees have been remanded and are currently being held at the station's lock-up.

Birthday cake

Meanwhile, Nga also called for the immediate release of Burmese pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi while commemorating her upcoming 60th birthday on June 19 by cutting a cake and singing a birthday song.

However, his memorandum was not received by embassy representatives as they claimed no official was around at that time. The embassy did not engage with the politician except via Mohd Asri who was on the phone with the ambassador.

"We deeply regret this especially since we had already made an appointment. Since they dare not come out to receive the memo, I have no alternative but to put it in their mailbox," said the DAP leader.

Press for release

Nga also encouraged Malaysia - as chair of the Organisations of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) - to press for the freedom of Suu Kyi and over 1,350 political prisoners in Burma.

"This is enunciated in the 1948 International Human Rights Declaration (UDHR). Malaysia should also condemn these illegal detentions and pressure the junta to respect the election results," he added in reference to the 1990 general election in Burma.

Suu Kyi's party had won an overpowering majority in the elections but the military refused to hand over federal rule.

Malaysia, who is also Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chair for 2005/2006, was urged to call for the disapproval of any Asean summits or meetings held in Burma in the years to come.

Burma is set to assume the Asean chairmanship in July 2006.

There was heavy police presence of about two-dozen personnel including the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU). However, no untoward incidents occurred.

In a related development, former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad - who engineered Burma's inclusion into Asean - urged the nation to release Suu Kyi.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate will celebrate her 60th birthday on Sunday at her Rangoon home where she has been confined for the past two years in her third stint under house arrest since beginning her political career in 1988.