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U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has urged Southeast Asian nations to step up pressure on Burma's military government to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

During his address to the ASEAN Security Forum in Cambodia Wednesday, Mr. Powell said all nations, particularly Burma's neighbors, must make it clear to Rangoon that its treatment of the Nobel laureate and her followers is unacceptable.

He called for Aung San Suu Kyi and her followers to be freed immediately. Mr. Powell also said the military government in Rangoon must be told to "free the Burmese people" by bringing democracy to the Southeast Asian country.

The United States and European Union have said they will tighten sanctions against Burmese officials, while Japan is considering cutting off its multi-million-dollar aid program to Rangoon. Aung San Suu Kyi was detained late last month, following a clash between opposition activists and government supporters in northern Burma. The government says she is being held in what it calls "protective custody."