Tribute Album Launched for Myanmar's Suu Kyi

10/25/2004 3:20 PM, Reuters


A string of top musicians, including Paul McCartney , Sting and Eric Clapton will launch an album on Tuesday dedicated to Myanmar's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, calling for the Nobel laureate to be freed.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi has spent much of the last 15 years under arrest. She was detained again in May of last year and remains under house arrest by Myanmar's military rulers, who have held power in various guises since 1962.

"Aung San Suu Kyi is a real hero," said Bono, lead singer of Irish rock band U2, in a statement before the Oct. 26 release of the compilation album "For the Lady. It also features Peter Gabriel , Coldplay and Damien Rice .

The album includes previously unreleased material by R.E.M . and Pearl Jam, as well as the U2 song "Walk On," which was dedicated to Suu Kyi and banned in Myanmar, and a song written by a jailed student democracy activist.

"Any time anyone inside Burma listens to my music, I want them to know that they are listening to an artist that supports their freedom," Eric Clapton said in the statement.