Describing the human rights situation in Myanmar as alarming, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana has asked the ruling military junta to release all political prisoners and ensure that the elections in 2010 are fair and transparent. He also asked the junta to create an independent judiciary and reform the country's military to respect humanitarian law in conflict areas. <br/>During his visit to Myanmar in July, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon made similar demands but were largely ignored by the government. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's continued detention will prevent her from contesting elections next year. <br/><br/>