As news of the much-awaited release of Myanmar Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi reverberated throughout the world, activists and world leaders were seizing the opportunity to make a case for democracy and human rights in this besieged nation.

Myanmar -- formerly known as Burma -- has been ruled by a Marxist military junta since 1962. The military regime has cracked down on political dissidents, forcing thousands to flee.

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