GENEVA — Burma should release Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest if it wants to show the world it is serious about human rights and democracy, a senior United Nations official said yesterday.

Ms. Suu Kyi, who has been confined by the country’s ruling junta for 11 of the last 17 years, completes her latest detention term Sunday. The military has given no indication it intends to release her from house arrest, and the order is likely to be renewed.

U.N. High Commissioner Louise Arbour said Burma should unconditionally release Ms. Suu Kyi and more than 1,000 other political prisoners it holds in prisons and labor camps throughout the country.

Ms. Suu Kyi’s release “would demonstrate a willingness to abide by universally accepted human rights standards,” she said. “It would also, I believe, facilitate national dialogue and free the government and the people to focus on the need to unite the country and to allow the emergence of democratic structures to decide on the way forward.”

Last week, President Bush told Congress that he intended to continue America’s economic and political sanctions against Burma because of concern over what was described as the worsening repression in the country. The White House said Burma’s generals have in recent weeks increased attacks on ethnic groups, arrested students, and harassed democracy activists.