French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced Friday he was conferring the country's highest honour on Myanmar opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The move to award the Legion of Honour came as Myanmar released more than 400 political prisoners, including several prominent activists and ethnic minority leaders.
The French presidency said Sarkozy had spoken by telephone with Suu Kyi about the development, ahead of a visit to Myanmar this weekend by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. "President Sarkozy showed his support for the process of reforms begun in Burma (Myanmar)," the presidency said in a statement.
Sarkozy also praised Suu Kyi's courage and commitment to democracy and freedom in Myanmar, "particularly during her many years of house arrest" and announced he was making the Nobel Peace Prize laureate a commander of the Legion of Honour, France's highest honour.