Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu yesterday appealed to the UN and the international community to force the Myanmar government to release political detainees.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu yesterday appealed to the UN and the international community to force the Myanmar government to release political detainees.

The Nobel peace laureate said in a statement: "The courage of the people of Burma is amazing and now they have been joined by their holy men.

"It is so like the rolling mass action that eventually toppled apartheid," Tutu said of the growing street protests in Myanmar.

"We admire our brave sisters and brothers in Burma/Myanmar and want them to know that we support their peaceful protests to end a vicious rule of oppression and injustice."

Tutu called on the UN and the world community to urge the military junta to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and detainees.

Tutu said the junta should also be urged to halt their violent attempts at putting down the people's protest and to engage all relevant parties in a genuine process leading to true democracy.

"God bless all those wonderful, brave people. Victory is assured. They are on the winning side, the side of freedom, justice and democracy," Tutu said. - Sapa