Dharamsala, Aug 12 - The spiritual head of the Tibetan community, the Dalai Lama, Wednesday appealed to Myanmar's ruling junta to release human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who received an additional 18 months of imprisonment Tuesday for allegedly violating the terms of her house arrest.

'I am deeply saddened by the extended detention of Aung San Suu Kyi to a further period of house arrest,' an official statement of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said.

'As a fellow Buddhist, I would like to once again appeal to the Burmese authorities to show magnanimity and understanding by releasing her. Doing so will not only contribute towards reconciliation but also will be a goodwill gesture,' said the statement.

The Dalai Lama along with many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in this hill town in northern India in 1959. His government-in-exile is not recognised by any country in the world.