Rome's Coliseum lights up in tribute to Ingrid Betancourt, Aung San Suu Kyi

ROME, Sept 6 (AFP) - Rome's Coliseum was floodlit Saturday night to draw attention to the fate of Ingrid Betancourt, a former senator held hostage by Colombian rebels, and that of Myanmar's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, who organised the tribute, has written to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi asking him to "take all opportune steps" to secure Betancourt's release.

"Italy, given its position in Europe (as current holder of the EU presidency) and its traditional ties with Latin America, must play an active role in this affair," he wrote.

Betancourt, who was seized by FARC rebels in February 2002, is one of an estimated 850 military, political and civilian hostages held by the rebel group in the war-torn nation.

Reports in recent days have suggested her release may be imminent. Suu Kyi, meanwhile, has been detained by Myanmar's military junta for more than two months, after supporters of her pro-democracy party were apparently mobbed by a pro-junta gang, leaving scores of people dead.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) managed to visit the Nobel prize laureate on Saturday and found her to be in good health.

For the past three years, the Coliseum has been illuminated regularly as part of an anti-death penalty campaign promoted by city authorities.