"NEWS COLLECTION" ( About Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD and SPDC ) from 28-10-1997 to 12-12-2002 Collected by – Khin Kyaw Han --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, October 28, 1997 Published at 10:38 GMT World: Far East Burmese Opposition Blocked The Burmese military authorities have prevented the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from holding a meeting with her supporters in a township,on the outskirts of the capital, Rangoon. 1
Transcript
"NEWS COLLECTION" ( About Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD and SPDC ) from 28-10-1997 to 12-12-2002
Tuesday, October 28, 1997 Published at 10:38 GMT World: Far East
Burmese Opposition Blocked
The Burmese military authorities have prevented the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from holding a meeting with her supporters in a township,on the outskirts of the capital, Rangoon.
Last week the authorities permitted her to address a similar meeting -- a move interpreted at the time as a relaxation of the restrictions enforced since her release from house arrest in 1995.
Officials of her party, the National League for Democracy, said the meetings are intended to enable Aung San Suu Kyi to reorganise the party's Youth League.
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But corespondents say it's clear the military authorities aren't prepared to let her do this.
Police in Burma have taken action to prevent the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from addressing a meeting of her party in the outskirts of the capital, Rangoon.
Reports say riot police put up barricades and barbed wire around the office the National League for Democracy in the township of Tamwe before the meeting was due to start.
Party sources said about twenty youth members had been detained.
Aung San Suu Kyi cancelled a similar meeting in Tamwe on Tuesday, after failing to obtain police permission for it.
The opposition National League for Democracy in Burma has criticised the ruling military authorities for restricting the movements of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
A party statement said the erection of barricades by riot police to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi from addressing a party meeting in the township of Tamwewas unlawful.
The authorities denied they were restricting Aung San Suu Kyi's movements but that the party's activities threatened the stability of the country.
The military authorities blamed Aung San Suu Kyi for what they described as unnecessary setbacks in Burma's transition to democracy.
Thursday, November 13, 1997 Published at 20:20 GMT
World: Far East
Burmese opposition leader kept in own home
The military government in Burma has again prevented the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from leaving her home in the capital, Rangoon, to meet members of her party, the National League for Democracy.
Party members said her car was stopped by barbed wire barricades as she was leaving to attend the meeting just outside Rangoon in the Hlaing district.
Police also barred the way to senior party officials who tried to enter the compound to see her.
A government statement said it prevented the meeting to deter, as it put it, unnecessary disturbance of the peace.
The NLD has condemned the action as unlawful.
Correspondents say this is the third consecutive meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her party that the military government has halted.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, 15 November, 1997, 00:46 GMT
US Denounces Burma
The United States has criticised the Burmese authorities for preventing the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from meeting members of her political party, the National League for Democracy.
On Friday, her car was blocked by barbed wire barricades as she was leaving home in the capital, Rangoon, to attend the meeting.
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A State Department spokesman described the move as the latest in a long line of repressive measures by the Burmese military government to marginalise the NLD.
He urged the authorities in Rangoon to open dialogue with the party and to allow it to carry out activities without intervention.
Earlier, the Burmese government said it prevented the meeting to deter what it called unnecessary disturbance of the peace.
Burmese military government allows democracy meeting
The military authorities in Burma have allowed about three-hundred supporters of the National League for Democracy to gather at the home of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to celebrate National Day.
In a statement, the ruling State Peace and Development Council said the government needed the co-operation of all political parties in Burma to make the transition to democracy.
Earlier this month, the Burmese military authorities prevented a series of NLD meetings by restricting the movements of Aung San Suu Kyi and arresting her supporters.
But correspondents say there are now signs of a struggle between hardliners and those who favour a less hostile approach to the democracy movement.
The military authorities in Burma say the vice-chairman of the National League for Democracy, Kyi Maung, has resigned from the party because of disagreements with its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
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But senior NLD officials immediately denied the report.
Its other vice-chairman, Tin Oo, called the military statement a baseless lie, and said Kyi Maung was just taking things easier because of his advanced age.
Correspondents say the pro-government media in Burma often carries reports of alleged conflicts within the NLD leadership.
The leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, has urged Asean leaders meeting in Kuala Lumpur to support political change in her country.
In a message released by a human rights group in Bangkok, Alternative Asean Network on Burma Aung San Suu Kyi said there would be no stability or sustainable economic development without political reform.
She said she believed the people of Asean countries wanted to see a Burmese government that was accountable to the population.
Aung San Suu Kyi opposed Burma's entry to Asean earlier this year, advocating international isolation of the military government.
The Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been awarded the freedom of the city of Oxford, where she spent much of her life before returning to Burma in 1988.
In an acceptance speech read by her son, Kim Aris, she said it felt strange that only now, when she was not in a position to be in Oxford, she had been granted the freedom of the city.
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Her son accused the Burmese authorities of cruel and immoral behaviour in denying him and his father visas to visit Ms Suu Kyi.
On Monday Ms Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, urged Asean leaders meeting in Kuala Lumpur to support political change in her country.
In a message released by a human rights group in Bangkok, Alternative Asean Network on Burma she said there would be no stability or sustainable economic development without political reform.
She said she believed the people of Asean countries wanted to see a Burmese government that was accountable to the population.
Ms Suu Kyi opposed Burma's entry to Asean earlier this year, advocating international isolation of the military government.
Malaysia, a close ally of the Rangoon regime, said on Monday it would not insist Burma attends next year's Asia-Europe summit.
Three months ago the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, warned Asean members might boycott the meeting if Burma was not allowed to attend.
The UK, which will chairing the meeting as part of their EU presidency, had refused to allow Burma to participate as EU sanctions deny visas to Burmese officials.
Aung San Suu Kyi lashed out at Burma's ruling generals
The leader of Burma's pro-democracy movement says she hopes the country's 50th year of independence from Britain will bring greater respect for human rights.
Aung San Suu Kyi has appealed to Burma's military government to open a dialogue to resolve political issues and attempt to achieve reconciliation.
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She was addressing supporters of her National League for Democracy as Burma, now officially known as Myanmar, celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence from Britain on Sunday.
In a statement read at a ceremony before dawn, the chairman of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council, General Than Shwe, called for vigilance against those seeking to disrupt stability on the pretext of democracy and human rights.
The vigilance was apparent in the heightened security on the streets of the capital, Rangoon.
Armed policemen were placed at several strategic locations in and security was tight outside the house of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The 600 people who arrived at the house for her annual independence day celebration were stopped at checkpoints and forced to identify themselves before being allowed in to her compound.
Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar independence hero General Aung San, called on the government to hold talks with the opposition, and lashed out at the ruling generals for failing to give the freedoms fought for by her father and other freedom fighters.
"Although the independence of the nation has turned to a Golden Jubilee, its situation is not as bright and beautiful even as silver - its far from gold," she said.
"Our inability to implement unity among national races and to create internal peace, the lack of human rights and the low standard of living of the people and the declining economy of the country are not as beautiful as gold."
Repeating a request she has made often since being released from six years of house arrest in July 1995, she called for dialogue with the government.
"The NLD will keep making efforts to solve the political issues by holding dialogue in view of the people's interest," she said.
The military has held power since 1962, despite an election victory by the National League for Democracy in 1990.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, 20 January, 1998, 17:35 GMT UN mediates in Burmese deadlock
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A senior United Nations official, Alvaro De Soto, arrives in Rangoon later on Tuesday for talks with Burma's ruling military government and opposition leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
The BBC South-East-Asia correspondent says Mr De Soto is expected to urge both sides to begin talks to break Burma's political stalemate.
Last month, the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, met the Burmese leader, General Than Shwe, to press for free elections and improvements in human rights.
But our correspondent says Mr De Soto will find it hard making any progress on those issues.
Burmese government turns down reported opposition suggestion on power sharing
The Burmese government has dismissed comments in a Thai newspaper The Nationby opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in which she was reported to have spoken about her party's readiness to share power.
A spokesman said the suggestion was improper and unrealistic, adding that the present government was transitional and would be dissolved after elections to be held at an unspecified date.
The newspaper quoted Suu Kyi as saying her party, the National League for Democracy, was keeping all its options open and that it was important never to say never in politics.
But the party's vice-president (Tin Oo) has denied the Thai report.
He told Reuters news agency that the news about power sharing was not true.
Monday, March 30, 1998 Published at 06:03 GMT 07:03 UK
World: S/W Asia
Britain 'insincere' over Burma
In the video, Aung San Suu Kyi accuses Premier Oil of acting selfishly
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro-democracy leader, has questioned the sincerity of the UK Government's stance towards her country in remarks criticising the role of a British oil company there.
In a video recording smuggled out of Burma, the Nobel peace laureate said Premier Oil was guilty of supporting Burma's military regime by planning to help develop off-shore gas reserves.
She asked why the UK Government did not stop it.
"Premier Oil is not only supporting the military government financially, it is also giving it moral support, and it is doing a great disservice in the name of democracy," said Suu Kyi.
"Why is the British government pursuing one policy and British companies pursuing another?"
'Contributing to repression'
There are some who might think that perhaps the British government is not altogether sincere if it permits its companies to invest under the present regime.
"Any company that is dealing with a repressive government contributes to repression in the country.
"We are inclined to think that Premier Oil came in because they hope to reap rich profits from coming into Burma at this time."
Suu Kyi was placed under house restriction by the Burmese regime. The video was released ahead of the Asia-Europe meeting in London on April 2 to 4.
The UK Government has proclaimed its support for an "ethical foreign policy" and condemned the regime.
Multi-million dollar pipeline
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According to reports, Premier Oil plans to help build a multi-million dollar gas pipeline across Burmese territory into Thailand.
It is reportedly one of several companies involved in the project. The others come from the US, France, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand.
The pipeline will run through an area where people have already been forcibly relocated by the military, said Burma Action Group, a British-based human rights monitoring organisation.
"Burma must be the lowest benchmark for the government's ethical foreign policy," said group director Yvette Mahon.
The group said refugees fleeing the area reported that relocations have been carried out to secure a route for gas exporting facilities of an earlier project operated by Total Oil.
The Burmese regime has been condemned internationally for human rights abuses and for profiting from the export of illegal opium and heroin.
In September 1997, the UK Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, said the regime was "not only deeply repressive... but it is also a deeply irresponsible regime in that it is one of the few governments in the world whose members are prepared to profit out of the drugs trade rather than to seek to suppress the drugs trade." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, 25 May, 1998, 16:37 GMT 17:37 UK
Bunta's junta detains Suu Kyi supporters
Reports from Burma say the ruling military junta has detained at least twenty-five members of the opposition, in an attempt to prevent celebrations planned to commemorate the party's 1990 election victory, which was notrecognised by the military.
The country's military rulers have already warned the National League for Democracy to cancel the gathering because they said it would destabilise the country.
A spokesman for the party said the detainees were regional leaders, who had been planning to travel to Rangoon for the ceremony.
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Last May, the junta prevented a similar gathering by detaining hundreds of members of the National League for Democracy.
Burma opposition commemorates election victory Several hundred supporters of the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, have been meeting at her home in the capital, Rangoon, to mark the eighth anniversary of their short-lived election victory.
The Burmese military authorities, who refused to recognise the results of the 1990 poll, have discouraged any celebrations by the National League for Democracy in the past.
Aung San Suu Kyi praised the decision of the authorities to allow this year's gathering to go ahead, appealing for what she described as meaningful political dialogue.
Extra riot police were posted around her home and some opposition officials say many of their supporters were detained to prevent them attending the meeting.
Wednesday, May 27, 1998 Published at 10:30 GMT 11:30 UK
World: S/W Asia
Opposition allowed to meet in Rangoon
Aung San Suu Kyi says the meeting alone is not enough
Several hundred members of the Burmese opposition party have gathered at the home of their leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in Rangoon to commemorate their party's short-lived election victory eight years ago.
This is the first time the ruling military, which seized power in 1988, has allowed the opposition to mark its victory, which was immediately overturned.
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The leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi, thanked the military regime for allowing her to hold the meeting, but said it was not enough.
"It is necessary to honour the results of the 1990 elections and hold the Parliament session as soon as possible. Let us meet the next time in Parliament," said the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
She again urged the military regime to open a dialogue with the opposition, a move which she said was unavoidable since the people of Burma willed it and because, otherwise, the country would never solve its deepening political and economic problems.
Extra riot police have been posted around Aung San Suu Kyi's home, where she is under house arrest following her return from exile.
Inspired by Indonesia?
Attempts to hold commemorations in the past have been thwarted by the military, who detained hundreds of NLD members last May despite international criticism.
However, commentators say the pro-democracy movement in Burma has taken heart from the overthrow of President Suharto in Indonesia.
A leader of the NLD who is now in exile, Sein Win, says that the opposition movement in Burma has been 'very much encouraged' by what happened in Indonesia.
But the head of the BBC Burma section warns that not everybody will know about the events in Indonesia, as censorship is still tight.
Urged not to hold meeting
Earlier this week the government urged the NLD not to hold the meeting in the interest of national unity, but it approved the meeting late on Tuesday, provided certain rules and regulations were observed, which it did not spell out.
But NLD leaders said that even this year 320 delegates have been detained in various parts of the country to keep them from attending, and urged their immediate release. The government has denied this.
Although the NLD won elections in May 1990, the result was overturned by the military, and many opposition MPs at the time were imprisoned.
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Burmese exile groups say the NLD has been decimated since it captured 392 of the 485 seats in the 1990 polls. They say a quarter of the victors have been imprisoned or exiled, and two have died in prison.
According to the human rights group, Amnesty International, scores of political activists have been arrested since the beginning of the year, joining hundreds of others in prison.
Aung San Suu Kyi herself has been under house arrest or close confinement for most of the last nine years. Her activities are tightly curbed by the military.
Thursday, June 25, 1998 Published at 18:01 GMT 19:01 UK
World: South Asia
Burmese supporters denied visit to Aung San Suu Kyi
Reports from Burma say the security forces have prevented a group of democracy supporters from attending a meeting at the home of the National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Sources in Rangoon say about fifty NLD members were denied entry to Aung San Suu Kyi's home, when they arrived to attend a regular reading session.
Scuffles broke out with police, resuting in some minor injuries.
The Burmese military authorities confirmed the incident, but denied that anyone was hurt.
Saturday, July 4, 1998 Published at 12:31 GMT 13:31 UK
World: South Asia
Burma places restrictions on pro-democracy politicians
The military authorities in Burma say they have placed restrictions on members of the National League for Democracy led by Aung
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San Suu Kyi in what they describe as an effort to avoid confrontation.
A statement by a senior government official said the requirement for individuals to report to local authorities had been imposed to avoid what he called a head-on collision between the League and the government.
The measures are reported to apply to NLD members elected in l990 to a parliament that has yet to be convened.
The statement did not confirm or deny allegations made by exiled students on Thursday, that more than forty NLD supportesrs had been arrested.
Tuesday, July 7, 1998 Published at 20:29 GMT 21:29 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
US slams Burmese authorities
The United States has criticised the military government in Burma for preventing the leader of the opposition National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, from travelling outside of the capital, Rangoon.
The authorities said they stopped her and other party members from leaving Rangoon for security reasons.
A US State Department spokesman, said Washington has reaffirmed to the Burmese regime its strong belief that freedom of movement should be accorded to members of the opposition.
Wednesday, July 8, 1998 Published at 15:26 GMT 16:26 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma warns foreign governments over comments
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In the wake of an all-night confrontation between Burmese police and the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, the military authorities have criticised foreign governments.
They said comments about the political situation in Burma could damage relations between south-east Asian countries, and stressed they were handling events with restraint.
Thailand had said earlier that instability in Burma could lead to unrest along their common border.
Aung San Suu Kyi and the chairman of her National League for Democracy, Aung Shwe, spent the night in their car eighty kilometres north of the capital, Rangoon, after being stopped by more than thirty police on their way to a meeting with NLD local officials.
One official was later allowed to see them at the scene.
Sunday, July 19, 1998 Published at 15:33 GMT 16:33 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma marks Martyr's Day
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi
The BBC's Patrick Walker reports:
As Burma celebrated its annual Martyr's Day, the capital, Rangoon, was mostly quiet.
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, paid respects at the tomb of her father, General Aung San, who was assassinated 51 years ago on Sunday.
He is regarded as the architect of Burma's independence from Britain and one of the country's greatest heroes.
Aung San Suu Kyi was accompanied to the mausoleum by Colonel Than Tun, a senior government intelligence officer who has acted as her liaison since her release from house arrest three years ago.
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Her transportation was arranged by the military junta which had recently warned opposition groups against fuelling rumours there would be unrest.
Political tensions have escalated amid a series of politically sensitive anniversaries this summer, including the 10th commemoration of the 1988 student protests which were crushed by the military.
Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, the National League for Democracy also marked the day with a private ceremony.
About 500 guests, including party members and foreign diplomats gathered at the pro-democracy leader's lakeside residence for the commemoration.
Security arrangements were more relaxed than normal and there were no reports of disturbances.
Monday, July 20, 1998 Published at 12:22 GMT 13:22 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese stop NLD leader again
The military government in Burma says that for the second time this month, it has stopped the leader of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, from travelling outside the capital, Rangoon, to meet party officials.
A government statement said Aung San Suu Kyi was stopped with a fellow party member and two drivers about thirty kilometres south of Rangoon as they were travelling by car to the township of Pantanaw.
It said Aung San Suu Kyi later returned to Rangoon.
Saturday, July 25, 1998 Published at 05:36 GMT 06:36 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
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Burma stops NLD leader again
The military government in Burma has confirmed that the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was blocked yesterday on Friday while trying to leave the capital, Rangoon, by car to visit party supporters.
In a statement, it accused her and her party, the National League for Democracy, of trying to use the incident to discredit the government by informing foreign diplomats and journalists.
It was the third time in less than three weeks that Aung San Suu Kyi had been prevented from travelling outside Rangoon to meet NLD members, although the government denies that she is under house arrest or other unlawful restrictions.
Sunday, July 26, 1998 Published at 14:42 GMT 15:42 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader trapped in car
Aung San Suu Kyi: Not the first time she has been stopped
The Burmese democracy movement says its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, remains stuck in her car on a road near the capital, Rangoon, three days after being stopped at a roadblock by security forces.
A senior figure in her National League for Democracy party, Tin Oo, said the security forces had now moved her car from the main highway west of the capital to a side road, and blocked it in with police vehicles.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a colleague and two drivers have been stuck since Friday morning, when they were prevented from heading to Bassein for a meeting with party supporters.
She was intending to tell party members not to obey a military order to report to the authorities twice a day under the "Habitual Offenders Act," a law reserved for those considered heinous criminals by the government.
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Her party members say she has been surrounded by soldiers, sandbags and barbed wire barricades to prevent her from driving on.
Government statement
The government, however, said in a statement: "In fact, there existed none of these around the car. It is their own rigid and confrontational policy which has made them spend the night in the car."
Although the Burmese military authorities insist she is not under restriction, it is the third time recently they have stopped her leaving the Rangoon area.
On two previous trips, on 7 July and 20 July, a compromise was reached when the military brought the people Aung San Suu Kyi was attempting to see to her car.
"Aung San Suu Kyi has been free to generally move about and agitate against the government as she ever has. But of course there are limits, just as there are anywhere as to how much unrest a person or an organisation may stir up," the government said.
The politician's colleagues have expressed hope that a compromise will be reached with the country's military to end the standoff.
Monday, July 27, 1998 Published at 10:20 GMT 11:20 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi under siege
It's believed that Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the democracy movement in Burma, has spent a third night in her car, in the continuing confrontation with the authorities over her freedom of movement.
But there's been no further word since supporters said her car was surrounded by police vehicles in a road off the highway west of Rangoon.
It's been there since it was stopped at a road block when Miss Suu Kyi set out on Friday morning for a meeting with party supporters at Bassein.
Tuesday, July 28, 1998 Published at 03:51 GMT 04:51 UK
World: Americas
Burma hits back at US over Suu Kyi
The military leadership in Burma has hit back at the United States, over criticism of its treatment of the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
It said Washington's accusations were typical of the way a superpower acted out simultaneously the roles of judge, jury and executioner.
Miss Suu Kyi has been stuck in her car since Friday, at a police road block outside Rangoon.
The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has said the United States will hold the Burmese military responsible for Miss Suu Kyi's health and welfare.
She said Burma was heading for breakdown and that a social explosion there became more likely each day.
Tuesday, July 28, 1998 Published at 13:49 GMT 14:49 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi feels the heat
Aung San Suu Kyi trapped outside Rangoon
There is growing concern over the welfare of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent four nights and five days in sweltering heat in her car at a military checkpoint 20 miles outside Rangoon.
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Foreign governments - including the American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright - say they hold the Burmese military responsible for Aung San Suu Kyi's welfare.
The British Foreign Office minister, Derek Fatchett, told the Burmese representative at a conference in Manila that the ban infringed her basic rights and was doing further serious harm to the country's reputation.
He demanded that foreign ambassadors in Burma should be granted immediate access to Aung San Suu Kyi, and the government should open a dialogue with her and with the National League for Democracy.
Trapped for five days
Ms Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was stopped at the checkpoint on Friday as she was going to meet political supporters.
According to local people, Ms Suu Kyi has run out of food and water.
Officials from her National League for Democracy Party (NLD) say they fear she will collapse from heat exhaustion.
A military ambulance is on hand, and she has been seen by her doctor. The military authorities say they are willing to provided fresh supplies but she hasn't requested them yet.
Although the Burmese military authorities say there is no formal restriction on Aung San Suu Kyi, it is the third time she has been stopped while trying to visit party workers outside Rangoon.
Time for dialogue
The NLD says Ms Suu Kyi is determined to stay where she is until the military allow her to travel freely outside Rangoon.
The BBC Burma specialist, Larry Jagan, says Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to reinforce a message to the military that it is time to start genuine dialogue with the opposition.
Government statements released in Rangoon accuse the opposition leader of a publicity stunt, of fermenting social unrest and of being in collusion with western governments to overthrow the military regime.
Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues categorically deny this and party workers say the main message is that the only way to resolve
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Burma's political impasse is for the military to start a genuine dialogue with the opposition.
Tension has risen between the military and the NLD since Ms Suu Kyi called for a meeting of a parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in the May 1990 elections.
The NLD swept the elections but the military ignored the results and has refused to convene parliament.
Wednesday, July 29, 1998 Published at 06:06 GMT 07:06 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese leaders 'must talk with opposition'
Aung San Suu Kyi trapped outside Rangoon
The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has said the military authorities in Burma must open talks with the opposition.
She was speaking at a meeting of Asian ministers in the Philippines as the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, began a sixth consecutive day in sweltering heat in her car at a military checkpoint 20 miles outside Rangoon.
Ms Suu Kyi is demanding to be allowed to travel freely around Burma.
There is growing concern over her welfare. Correspondents say the state of her health is a major talking point at the meeting in the capital of the Philippines, Manila.
Foreign governments have said they hold the Burmese military responsible for her wellbeing.
The British Foreign Office minister, Derek Fatchett, told the Burmese representative at the conference that the ban infringed her basic rights and was doing further serious harm to the country's reputation.
He demanded that foreign ambassadors in Burma should be granted immediate access to Ms Suu Kyi, and the government should open a dialogue with her and with the National League for Democracy.
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Trapped
Ms Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was stopped at the checkpoint on Friday as she was going to meet political supporters.
According to local people, she has run out of food and water.
Officials from her National League for Democracy Party (NLD) say they fear she will collapse from heat exhaustion.
A military ambulance is on hand, and she has been seen by her doctor. The military authorities say they are willing to provided fresh supplies but she has not requested them yet.
Although the Burmese military authorities say there is no formal restriction on Aung San Suu Kyi, it is the third time she has been stopped while trying to visit party workers outside Rangoon.
Tension has risen between the military and the NLD since Ms Suu Kyi called for a meeting of a parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in the May 1990 elections.
The NLD swept the elections but the military ignored the results and has refused to convene parliament.
Wednesday, July 29, 1998 Published at 06:11 GMT 07:11 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese reject Suu Kyi meeting
The Burmese military authorities have rejected a request that American and Japanese diplomats be allowed to meet the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is spending a sixth consecutive day of protest in her car at a military checkpoint outside Rangoon.
The Burmese foreign minister, Onh Gyaw, said he did not feel that such a meeting was needed at the moment.
Aung San Suu Kyi is demanding to be allowed to travel freely around Burma, but the authorities have accused her of merely staging a publicity stunt.
There have been reports that her health is deteriorating, but Mr Gyaw said he believed that she was in good condition.
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Earlier, the American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, called on the Burmese authorities to open talks with the opposition.
Wednesday, July 29, 1998 Published at 10:50 GMT 11:50 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi meeting rejected
Aung San Suu Kyi trapped outside Rangoon
The Burmese military authorities have rejected a request that American and Japanese diplomats be allowed to meet the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ms Suu Kyi is spending a sixth consecutive day of protest in her car at a military checkpoint 20 miles outside Rangoon.
She is demanding to be allowed to travel freely around Burma, but the authorities have accused her of merely staging a publicity stunt.
The Burmese foreign minister, Onh Gyaw, said he did not feel that a meeting was needed at the moment.
There have been reports that Ms Suu Kyi's health is deteriorating, but Mr Gyaw said he believed that she was in good condition.
Correspondents say her welfare has been a major talking point at the Asean meeting in the capital of the Philippines, Manila.
Earlier, the American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, speaking at the meeting, called on the Burmese authorities to open talks with the opposition.
Foreign governments have said they hold the Burmese military responsible for Ms Suu Kyi's wellbeing.
The British Foreign Office minister, Derek Fatchett, demanded that foreign ambassadors in Burma should be granted immediate access to Ms Suu Kyi.
Trapped
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Ms Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, was stopped at the checkpoint on Friday as she was going to meet political supporters.
According to local people, she has run out of food and water.
Officials from her National League for Democracy Party (NLD) say they fear she will collapse from heat exhaustion.
A military ambulance is on hand, and she has been seen by her doctor. The military authorities say they are willing to provided fresh supplies but she has not requested them yet.
Although the Burmese military authorities say there is no formal restriction on Aung San Suu Kyi, it is the third time she has been stopped while trying to visit party workers outside Rangoon.
Tension has risen between the military and the NLD since Ms Suu Kyi called for a meeting of a parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in the May 1990 elections.
The NLD won the elections but the military ignored the results and has refused to convene parliament.
Thursday, July 30, 1998 Published at 02:48 GMT 03:48 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi returns home
The Burmese authorities say the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has returned home after spending the past six days in her car at a military roadblock outside Rangoon.
The authorities said she made the decision after talks with senior members of her political party -- the National League for Democracy.
Aung San Suu Kyi had been protesting about what she said was the military government's refusal to allow her to visit her supporters.
The government accused her of staging a publicity stunt.
There had been growing international concern about her health but the Burmese authorities had rejected requests from foreign diplomats to visit her.
Thursday, July 30, 1998 Published at 09:24 GMT 10:24 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi forced to end protest
Aung San Suu Kyi spent six days in her car.
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been forced by the military authorities to end a six-day sit-in protest in a car on the outskirts of the capital, Rangoon.
She had been protesting about what she said was the government's refusal to allow her to visit her supporters.
The move brought a protest from the American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
But the Burmese authorities said they had intervened because of concerns about Ms Suu Kyi's health.
"She may not like what we did to her, but now she will be grateful for this in the future," a spokesman said.
The authorities had said earlier the opposition leader voluntarily returned home.
But now government sources say she was taken back to Rangoon because she had ignored "gentle persuasion".
Two women soldiers got into Ms Suu Kyi's car and drove her back home.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner is reported to be suffering from dehydration and fever, after spending six days in her car.
Pledge to continue fight
In a news conference held by officials of her party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - she was quoted as saying "I am as strong as ever".
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NLD officials said she was "furious" and had pledged to continue defying the regime. The party is considering legal action against the authorities.
"She accused the military authorities of forcibly abducting her, hijacking her car and using physical force," NLD officials said.
US condemns regime
The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, said the way the protest had been ended was an unacceptable violation of Aung San Suu Kyi's human rights.
She had earlier called on the Burmese authorities to open talks with the opposition.
Despite international concern about Ms Suu Kyi's health, the Burmese authorities had earlier rejected requests from foreign diplomats to visit her.
The Burmese Foreign Minister, Onh Gyaw, said he did not feel that a meeting was needed at the moment.
The Burmese authorities had dismissed her protest as a publicity stunt.
Although the Burmese military authorities say there is no formal restriction on Aung San Suu Kyi, it was the third time she had been stopped while trying to visit party workers outside Rangoon.
Tension has risen between the military and the NLD since Ms Suu Kyi called for a meeting of a parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in the May 1990 elections.
The NLD won the elections but the military ignored the results and has refused to convene parliament.
Thursday, July 30, 1998 Published at 15:55 GMT 16:55 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi says she'll defy authorities again
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, says she'll defy the military authorities and continue to leave her home for meetings with supporters.
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She was speaking after the authorities had forced her to return home from a six-day standoff at a roadblock outside Rangoon.
An opposition spokesman said Aung San Suu Kyi was exhausted, but intended to leave again as soon as she was well.
The Burmese military government said her action was a publicity stunt.
The British government has summoned the Burmese ambassador to London to condemn what it calls the regime's interference in Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of movement, and urge immediate dialogue between the military and the opposition.
Thursday, July 30, 1998 Published at 21:02 GMT 22:02 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
US condemns Burma over Aung San Suu Kyi
The United States has stepped up pressure on Burma, accusing the authorities of a callous disregard for human rights in their treatment of the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The State Department spokesman, James Rubin, said Aung San Suu Kyi had been manhandled as the authorities forced her back to her home in Rangoon, six days after stopping her at a roadblock as she attempted to leave the capital.
He called on Burma's military leaders to open a dialogue with her party.
Aung San Suu Kyi herself says she'll continue to leave her home for meetings with supporters.
The British government has summoned the Burmese ambassador to London to protest at her treatment.
Wednesday, August 5, 1998 Published at 16:22 GMT 17:22 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese threaten crackdown
Aung San Suu Kyi has been accused of destabilising the country
By South East Asia correspondent Simon Ingram
The Burmese military authorities say they will destroy any attempts by the opposition to stage demonstrations or other protests to mark the anniversary later this week of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising.
State controlled newspapers accuse the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, of trying to instigate unrest, one paper saying that any threat to the state would be annihilated.
While continuing to maintain an iron grip over the country, Burma's military government is plainly concerned at the possibility of serious unrest during the politically tense weeks that lie ahead.
This Saturday marks the 10th anniversary of the 1988 student uprising which the army put down amid extensive bloodshed.
The state-run media accuses Miss Suu Kyi of working with foreign powers in an attempt to destabilise the country, both to commemorate the uprising and to press her demand for the convening later this month of the Burmese Parliament chosen in elections in 1990.
Those elections, won convincingly by Miss Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, were subsequently ignored by the military.
Armed troops
Security has been tightened around the capital, with heavily armed troops posted on major road intersections.
Much depends on the stamina and ingenuity of Miss Suu Kyi herself in maintaining the heightened state of tension and the pressure on the regime.
For now, the 53-year-old opposition leader is recovering from dehydration and a fever brought on by her gruelling six-day stand-off with the authorities on a road outside Rangoon, which ended last Wednesday when soldiers forcibly returned her to her home in the capital.
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She has pledged to make further attempts to meet her supporters around the country, but the army now seems most unlikely to allow that.
The government has warned her against trying any more of what it terms dangerous publicity stunts.
Thursday, August 6, 1998 Published at 20:24 GMT 21:24 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Security guards remain at Aung San Suu Kyi's house
The opposition National League for Democracy in Burma says the military authorities have refused a request by Aung San Suu Kyi for the removal of security guards from the grounds of her residence in Rangoon.
Guards have been stationed in the compound since she was released from house arrest six years ago.
A statement by the NLD described the guards' presence as an unlawful restriction.
Last week, Aung San Suu Kyi was taken back to Rangoon against her will after spending six days in her car in a protest against military restrictions.
The human rights organisation Amnesty International has appealed for the release of ten political prisoners who they say warrant special humanitarian consideration.
The appeal comes on the eve of the tenth anniversary of a violent drive against democracy activists by the military government.
Friday, August 7, 1998 Published at 00:18 GMT 01:18 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
'Suu Kyi's unwanted guests won't go'
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Aung San Suu Kyi: under constant surveillance
Supporters of the Burmese pro-democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi, say the country's military rulers are refusing her request to withdraw security guards from the grounds of her home in the capital, Rangoon.
Guards have been stationed in the compound since the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner was released from house arrest six years ago.
A statement by Ms Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, described the guards' presence as an unlawful restriction.
Last week, Ms Suu Kyi was forced by the military authorities to end a six-day sit-in protest in a car on the outskirts of Rangoon.
She had been protesting about what she said was the government's refusal to allow her to visit her supporters outside the capital.
Amnesty anniversary plea
The fresh confrontation comes as the Burmese opposition prepares to commemorate the 10th anniversary of a military crackdown against democracy activists in which thousands of people were killed.
The human rights group, Amnesty International, has chosen the occasion to appeal to the Burmese Government to free 10 political prisoners, who it says warrant special humanitarian consideration.
In a statement, Amnesty said: "Some of these men and women have spent almost 10 years in prison for no more than writing letters and handing out leaflets. Why is the government so afraid of them?"
It said the release of prisoners would "help to defuse rising tensions, build public confidence and show a degree of good faith to the international community."
Amnesty has also accused the international community of failing to do enough to end the suffering of the Burmese people under military rule.
Friday, August 7, 1998 Published at 14:27 GMT 15:27 UK
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World: Asia-Pacific
Burma's military to withdraw guards
Burma's military government says it's prepared to withdraw security guards from the Rangoon residence of the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, after she asked them to leave.
Discussions were now underway.
Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, has condemned the guards presence, describing it as an unlawful restriction.
In a separate development the NLD has rejected an offer to meet senior members of the government on Saturday the tenth anniversary of the popular uprising against military rule.
The opposition said it could not accept the invitation because it excluded Aung San Suu Kyi.
Saturday, August 8, 1998 Published at 01:33 GMT 02:33 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese democracy campaign continues
Burmese students in are demanding the release of political prisoners
The Burmese opposition leader has stressed her commitment to the campaign to restore democracy in the country and says she will not be intimidated by the military government.
Aung San Suu Kyi was speaking on the eve of the 10th anniversary of a bloody army crackdown on pro-democracy campaigners in Burma.
Speaking from her National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters in Rangoon, she said: "I don't think there will be anybody in Burma who does not remember what happened 10 years ago - painfully and with deep regret."
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Burmese opposition activists have been marking the eve of the anniversary with protests to demand the government convene a parliament of members elected at a poll in May 1990.
The NLD won the poll by a big margin, but the result was ignored by the military.
"We are determined to do everything we can to make good our promise to the people that we are going to bring democracy to Burma," Aung San Suu Kyi said.
She said the military government must understand "they cannot achieve everything by force".
"This is a day on which we should renew our resolve to work for democracy and to build up the kind of system in which people by the thousands are not shot down simply because they have asked for something they have a right to demand," she said.
Earier, the NLD rejected an invitation to meet senior government officials, because, it said, the party leader was not allowed to be present.
The military government refuses to meet Aung San Suu Kyi.
Saturday, August 8, 1998 Published at 02:41 GMT 03:41 UK
World: South Asia
Burmese agree to pull back guard Aung San Suu Kyi: no longer under house arrest but still restricted
Burma's military government says it is prepared to withdraw security guards from the residence of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winning leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NDL) party.
She asked the authorities to pull out the guards on Thursday.
The offer comes on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the uprising against military rule in Burma.
A government statement said: "The government was surprised at Ms ASSK (Aung San Suu Kyi)'s sudden request and she provided no explanation. However, the government is happy to comply with her request and discussions are now under way about the measures."
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Earlier, the NDL condemned the guards' presence, describing it as an unlawful restriction.
Security personnel have been stationed in Aung San Suu Kyi's compound since she was released from house arrest in 1995, but the government says the guards were provided at her request.
Diplomats say, however, that the guards are supposed to report on Aung San Suu Kyi's movements and have even stopped her at times.
In a separate development, Aung San Suu Kyi's party rejected an invitation to meet senior members of the government on Saturday.
The NDL said it could not accept the invitation as Aung San Suu Kyi herself was not allowed to be present.
"Since the purpose of the meeting was not mentioned in the letter and also because the party cannot accept the conditions ... the invitation was declined by the party," said an NDL statement.
One report said that the military has described Ms Suu Kyi as selfish and stubborn for insisting that no meeting with her party be held without herself.
Monday, August 10, 1998 Published at 17:19 GMT 18:19 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi vows push for change
Aung San Suu Kyi: "The tide of history is with us"
The leader of the main Burmese political party, Aung San Suu Kyi, has told the BBC she intends to step up her campaign for political change. She said she was confident that Burma would achieve democracy "because the tide of history is with us."
"The situation of the country is such that the military regime can really do nothing for the country and the people know that change is necessary."
Aung San Suu Kyi said she believed the ruling junta would eventually accept it had to negotiate with her National League for Democracy, which won elections eight years ago.
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She has demanded that the parliament chosen then be convened by 21 August and told the BBC that her party would act accordingly if it was not.
The BBC South-east Asia correspondent Simon Ingram says Aung San Suu Kyi seemed recovered from her most recent confrontation with the military, in which she spent six days on a bridge outside the capital surrounded by troops.
Detentions
Last Saturday's tenth anniversary of the crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations passed off without serious incident.
But 18 foreigners were detained in Rangoon for distributing leaflets which the government says were aimed at inciting unrest. Foreign diplomats have been negotiating with the Burmese authorities for their release.
A government spokesman said the foreigners - who include six Americans and nationals from Asian countries - had broken at least two laws but gave no information about what action would be taken.
They were distributing leaflets calling on the people of Burma to remember the tenth anniversary of the suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations.
The government said in a statement that by trying to bring "chaos and anarchy" to the country, opposition groups were unnecessarily prolonging the democratic process which it said Burma was undergoing.
Wednesday, August 12, 1998 Published at 12:44 GMT 13:44 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi again stopped by security forces
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has again been stopped by security forces as she tried to leave the capital, Rangoon, to meet supporters of her party, the National League for Democracy.
It's the fourth time in two months that she has defied restrictions on her movements.
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Late last month she suffered severe dehydration when her car was blocked by troops for six days.Aung San Suu Kyi has linked her actions to her demand for the convening within the next ten days of the parliament elected in 1990, which has never been allowed to meet.
The BBC South East Asia correspondent says the latest standoff comes amid increasing international pressure on the Burmese military government which is holding eighteen foreign activists detained on Sunday for distributing anti-government leaflets.
Thursday, August 13, 1998 Published at 06:08 GMT 07:08 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese troops continue to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi from travelling
The Burmese security forces are continuing to block the journey of the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who's making another attempt to leave the capital, Rangoon.
Miss Suu Kyi had a similar stand-off with the authorities three weeks ago, when her car was blocked by troops for six days.
The BBC Southeast Asia correspondent says she is better prepared this time, with a mini-van and extra supplies.
The Burmese military government is also continuing to hold eighteen foreign activists, including six Americans, who were detained for handing out political leaflets.
Our correspondent says the government has refused a visa for an American congressman, Chris Smith, who has flown to the region to seek the release of the Americans.
Thursday, August 13, 1998 Published at 11:41 GMT 12:41 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
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Suu Kyi remains defiant
Aung San Suu Kyi spent six days in her car last month
Burmese troops are continuing to prevent pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from travelling outside the capital, Rangoon, for the second consecutive day. Ms Suu Kyi was stopped at the same roadblock where last month she spent six days in her car in a stand-off protest, after the authorities refused to allow her to travel to visit her supporters.
A government statement said Ms Suu Kyi and her party had been stopped on Wednesday because they were "without proper security arrangements", and were asked to return to Rangoon.
Tension between the military Ms Suu Kyi has increased since she called for a meeting of parliament in August consisting of candidates elected in the May 1990 elections.
The NLD won the elections but the military ignored the results and has refused to convene parliament.
Prepared for long wait
Ms Suu Kyi, head of the National League for Democracy, left Rangoon on Wednesday morning, accompanied by a driver and a senior member of her NLD party.
She was travelling in a van thought to contain enough food and water to allow the group to endure more than the six days of Miss Suu Kyi 's last stand-off.
That protest ended when soldiers escorted her back to the capital. The authorities said they had ended the protest for the sake of Ms Suu Kyi's own health, but also accused her of carrying out a publicity stunt.
International pressure
Ms Suu Kyi's latest journey is her fourth attempt in two-months to travel outside Rangoon.
Her aim is to embarrass a regime that finds itself under mounting domestic and international pressure.
The embassies of Japan, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and the United States will urge Burma to begin
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dialogue with Ms Suu Kyi, a Japanese government spokesman said on Wednesday.
The opposition leader has vowed that she will continue to defy restrictions placed on her movements by the government.
The Burmese Government maintains there are no formal restrictions on Ms Suu Kyi.
Concern over detained foreigners
Miss Suu Kyi's latest bid to increase pressure on Burma's military government coincides with mounting international concern over 18 foreign activists detained in Rangoon on Sunday for distributing anti-government leaflets.
The US Embassy in Rangoon says it made official representations on Wednesday for the early release of the detainees.
A United States congressman, Chris Smith, is making a personal bid to secure the freedom of the six Americans being held, and is reportedly on his way to Burma. However, Rangoon has indicated that he will not be given a visa.
The group also includes three Thais, three Malaysians, three Indonesians, two Philippine citizens and an Australian.
Our correspondent says that the potential diplomatic complications might deter the authorities from charging the foreigners.
But a government spokesman on Wednesday said the detainees were "not co-operating" and this had prolonged their detention.
Former Burmese students continue their protests, in BangkokBy regional analyst Joe Havely:
For much of the past decade, Burma's universities and high schools have been silent.
An entire generation has missed out on education, and those who do have training are leaving the country.
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These are Burma's lost generation.
Burma was once one of the most economically promising countries in Asia. But years of economic mismanagement have made it one of the poorest in the world.
The student 'threat'
Burma's military leaders have long been suspicious of campus politics. After seizing power in 1962, the army blew up the student's union building at Rangoon University.
"The government has never understood the students" says Kyi Kyi May, head of the BBC Burmese Service. "Even the smallest protests were seen as a threat."
After the military crackdown in 1988, many students who took part in the protests were forced to flee the country. As universities were closed, those who had their education cut short were forced to work as trishaw drivers, road sweepers or even prostitutes.
Some were educated at home or in the private schools that sprang up for those that could afford them. But subjects like medicine, law and accountancy are difficult to teach outside established universities.
Strict control
Today the man in charge of Burma's education system is Lt-General Khin Nyunt - the head of military intelligence and the strongman of the Burmese government.
The government fears that student gatherings may rekindle the flames of political opposition and he has strict control of what is taught.
"There's no freedom to chose courses," says Aye Min, a former Burmese university lecturer. "Everything must be submitted to the government-controlled senate for approval."
It is a different story for the rulers' children. They have access to education abroad and are guaranteed jobs in the many business interests run by the generals.
Standards plummet
Although the government says it values education, under military rule, 40% of Burma's national budget is devoted to military spending - a mere 5% goes on education.
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Wages have been so low that those with the skills to teach are unwilling to work.
The poorly-trained teachers that do work are made to teach according to strict guidelines and are responsible for preventing their students from engaging in unauthorised political activities.
Aye Min says teaching quality has suffered: "When the universities are open there is a feeling that they have to make up for lost time. So they've cut the length of time it takes to get a BA or BSc from four years to just four months."
The cumulative effect is that standards plummet: new teachers are not trained, skills and knowledge do not get passed down, and an educational rot sets in.
Brain drain
Added to this is the steady departure of Burma's trained professionals - doctors, surgeons, engineers and lawyers - frustrated at the lack of opportunity.
Many young professionals protested alongside the students in 1988. At the time, it was difficult for people to emigrate.
But since then, says Kyi Kyi May, the government has freed up the system: "The government decided that if they're not happy, they should let them go. That leaves fewer people to speak out against them."
While the generals live in luxury, for those that remain life is hard. Kyi Kyi May has spoken to many people in Rangoon who say they often have to live without electricity or running water.
"Deprived of these necessities people are more worried about this than democracy" she says.
Without an educated society many observers fear that an efficient civilian government and civil service cannot emerge.
John Jackson of the human rights organisation Burma Action Group says the junta's policy is to "deliberately encourage a brain drain." He says that by preventing the emergence of an alternative, the generals believe they can hold on to power.
Burma has the potential to be a rich country. It has oil, gas and other mineral reserves, and the country used to be one of the world's major rice exporters.
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But in the grip of Burma's generals, exploitation of the country's resources is channelled to the ruling elite, and they are keen to keep it this way.
After all says Kyi Kyi May, "the military didn't take power just to give it back again."
The frustration which erupted on the streets of Rangoon in August 1988 had been a long time building.
The people of Burma had lived for more than two decades in a closed and authoritarian society, while at the same time enduring the debilitating effects of a steadily deteriorating economy.
When they found their collective voice in the short-lived period which has been dubbed the Rangoon Spring, they had plenty to protest about.
As well as the restoration of basic human rights, they called for democracy, something their country had only brief experience of in the years after independence.
General Aung San
Burma, a British colony since the 19th century, gained its independence in 1948.
The resistance movement which fought against Japanese rule during the Second World War emerged as the main political force after Japan's defeat.
It was led by General Aung San, the father of Aung San Suu Kyi, and a revered national figure. He was assassinated in 1947.
Aung San's successor, U Nu, became Burma's first prime minister. For the first decade of independence there was a parliamentary democracy, set against a backdrop of revolts by communists and other insurgent groups.
Ne Win's 'Burmese Way to Socialism'
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General Ne Win brought this period to an abrupt end when he took power in a military coup in 1962. He set about turning the country into a centralised, one-party socialist state.
Freedom of the press was abolished, along with the constitution. All political parties other than the one sponsored by the government were banned.
The economy, once one of the strongest in Asia, suffered from state control and low world prices for rice and other exports.
Economic troubles
Economic grievances became a key factor in the occasional outbursts of social unrest and rioting in subsequent years. By 1987 Burma had been granted least-developed- nation status by the United Nations.
A special meeting of the Burmese leadership in August 1987 resolved to tackle the economic situation. In September, amid rice shortages caused by a poor harvest, the government announced it was withdrawing certain denominations of banknotes from circulation, without compensation.
The move effectively wiped out 80% of the money in circulation. An already poor people were reduced to desperation. Students rioted in the first serious civil unrest since 1976.
Further rioting and demonstrations in the first half of 1988 were violently suppressed by police.
The people speak
On 8th August 1988 massive street demonstrations were held in Rangoon, as well as a general strike.
Tens of thousands of protesters called for democracy, human rights, the resignation of the government and an end to the centrally-run economic system. The demonstrations spread to dozens of other places around the country.
The response from the authorities was brutal: thousands were arrested or killed by the police and army. The military established a new leadership body, the State Law and Order Restoration Council.
Aung San Suu Kyi
The daughter of Burma's independence leader Gen Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi campaigned around the country in 1988 and early
41
1989, calling for democratic rule and attracting widespread support in spite of the military's ban on gatherings.
In July 1989 she was placed under house arrest. She remained there for six years.
In spite of her detention, Aung San Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy to an overwhelming victory in elections in May 1990.
But the military leadership refused to hand over power, and instead responded by arresting opposition leaders.
Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1991.
Speaking on the occasion, her husband Michael Aris said the prize had never been awarded to someone in a situation of "such extreme isolation."
Arlene Gregorius looks back at the life and career of Nobel Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi:
Like the South African leader Nelson Mandela before her, Aung San Suu Kyi, has come to be seen internationally as a symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.
She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991, by which time she had been under house arrest for two out of what was to become six years.
Now aged 53, Suu Kyi is the daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, whose resistance to British colonial rule culminated in Burma's independence in 1948.
After attending school in the Burmese capital Rangoon, Aung San Suu Kyi lived in India, and then went to Britain for her University education.
This is where she met and married her husband, Michael Aris, an Oxford University academic.
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Already then, Michael Aris knew his wife's destiny might ultimately lie with Burma.
"Before we were married I promised my wife that I would never stand between her and her country," he says.
Aung San Suu Kyi first came to prominence when she returned to Burma in August 1988, with her husband and their two sons remaining in Britain.
She became the leader of a burgeoning pro-democracy movement in the aftermath of the brutal repression of a pro-democratic uprising earlier that summer.
Election 'victory'
The movement quickly grew into a political party that went on to win an overwhelming majority 82% percent in national elections in 1990, by which time she had already been under house arrest for a year.
The military regime, however, refused to relinquish power and stepped up intensified repression of her party, the National League for Democracy.
Martin Smith, a writer on Burmese affairs, says there are several reasons why Aung San Suu Kyi proved such a natural leader.
"Her father was the founder of the democratic movement. So Suu Kyi in a way had inherited that kind of tradition.
"But the second thing is of course down to Aung San Suu Kyi herself, her role in the democracy movement and her speeches about the need for change in Burmese society.
"And I think there is a further thing she very much had on her side - that is her comparative youth in Burmese politics."
Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, and India's Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi organised rallies after her return to Burma, and travelled the country, calling for peaceful democratic reforms and free elections.
She campaigned for change through dialogue. After her release from six years of house arrest in 1995, she defined what might actually produce the talks that she wants:
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"We think that the strength of our movement is really in the country itself.
"It is in the will of the people and the great majority of people in Burma want democracy.
"We as the National League for Democracy and as part of the forces for democracy, are always ready to work together with the authorities to achieve national reconciliation and we would like to think that the strength of our good will and the very strong desire of the people for democracy will bring positive results."
Despite Suu Kyi's official release from house arrest, there are still de facto restrictions on her freedom to move and speak, and oppression of pro-democracy activism continues.
Burma's human rights record has been rated one of the worst in the world after Algeria.
Friday, August 14, 1998 Published at 17:06 GMT 18:06 UK
Burma's political stalemate
Foreign relations suffered over detention of activists
By Alice Donald of the Asia-Pacific unit
There is mounting international criticism of the military regime in Burma, fuelled by the trial of 18 foreign human rights activists, who are to be deported, and the continuing stand-off between the junta and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi over her right to travel.
The image of Aung San Suu Kyi stranded in her car on a dusty roadside has captivated the world's media.
The unequal match between the diminutive opposition figure and the men in military fatigues who are blocking her path has all the makings of an enduring political icon, much like the Chinese student who confronted the tanks in Tiananmen Square.
The generals have rebuffed all criticism with characteristically hard-line statements. But the international spotlight will not go away, with all eyes now fixed on August 21 - the deadline which Aung San Suu Kyi has set for the parliament elected in 1990 to meet.
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Aung San Suu Kyi's decision to challenge the junta has been stunningly effective in dramatising the repression in Burma. And she has other weapons in her symbolic armoury - not least her demand for the junta to convene parliament and thus finally recognise the landslide victory that her National League for Democracy won in the 1990 elections.
Aung San Suu Kyi has not said what she will do if, as expected, the junta ignores her call. However, this matters less than the fact that she has managed, at least temporarily, to seize the initiative and drag the glare of international attention onto the generals.
And by limiting herself to carefully calculated political moves, she has crucially steered firmly away from any actions which could lead to a replay of the popular uprising of 1988 and the appalling repression which quashed it.
How is the junta itself responding to this apparent momentum for reform?
The defiant statements from Rangoon - branding Aung San Suu Kyi as a provocateur and any outside pressure as interference - indicate little room for compromise.
The arrest of the foreign activists arrested for distributing pro-democracy leaflets appears a clumsy and self-defeating move by the regime.
But it is important to remember that the government calculates its moves for domestic as much as international consumption.
The stark fact is that the junta has clung onto power for a decade by suppressing internal dissent, and so by their own logic this is the route to survival.
Are there any grounds for hope in the apparently sterile political climate?
Some observers say divisions in the junta itself could help break the mould. There is known to be a power struggle between the two power centres in the junta - military intelligence, headed by General Khin Nyunt, and the army, led by General Maung Aye.
The internal putsch last November, in which a number of senior figures were ousted, ostensibly for corruption, has also had repercussions for internal unity.
However, whatever the speculation about fissures in the regime, the generals have always pulled together against opposition at
45
home and abroad, and there is no reason to believe that strategy will change.
Nevertheless, the Burmese regime cannot remain completely impervious to sustained external pressure - especially from its main aid donor, Japan, and its Asean partners.
Thailand and the Philippines have voiced open criticism of the junta's intransigence, effectively removing the cloak of respectability which the generals hoped to acquire by joining the regional grouping last year.
International censure, combined with the struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi, can only heighten the junta's discomfiture.
But the actual mechanism for change, if it ever comes, is likely to be slow and painstaking - belying any comparisons with the "People Power" uprisings in the Philippines and Indonesia.
So effective has repression been in Burma that there is virtually no civil society capable of delivering a sudden, shattering blow to the regime.
The generals have now said they will meet NLD figures, though not Aung San Suu Kyi. They insist that the Constitutional Convention, boycotted by the NLD, is the only vehicle for reform.
The NLD, meanwhile, says nothing less than direct dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi will do.
The question is: Who will make the first concession and how can Burma edge towards reform without slipping into political chaos?
While the camera lenses of the world's media are trained on that car on the roadside, it is this murky political shadow-boxing that could provide the key to unlock Burma's political stalemate.
Friday, August 14, 1998 Published at 19:46 GMT 20:46 UK
World: South Asia
Burmese reject UN mediation
Aung San Suu Kyi - stopped again by police
The Burmese military government says there is no reason for UN
46
mediation in its stand-off with the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to diplomatic sources, the UN had hoped to intervene to enable both sides to climb down from their current positions and to start long-term discussions about the future of the country.
But the UN said the Burmese Prime Minister, General Than Shwe, politely said there was no reason for such a rushed visit.
Burma also says that 18 foreign activists, detained on Sunday for handing out political leaflets in Rangoon, will go on trial shortly at a special court in the capital.
Authorities refused to grant a visa to US congressman Chris Smith, who had travelled to Bangkok seeking the release of some of the activists.
The latest developments are a further sign that the government's firm position.
Police have been preventing Ms Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, from visiting supporters.
On Wednesday she was stopped in her van about 20 miles (32 kms) west of Rangoon.
The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, expressed disappointment at the Burmese government's rejection of the UN's mediation bid.
His spokesman, Juan Carlos Brandt, said: "The Secretary General was disappointed on receiving the response by the government there. They have in the past seen other United Nations staff members."
Mr Annan delegated one of the most respected figures at the UN to undertake the mission, the former president of the General Assembly, Razali Ismail. The hope was to begin talks this week.
The UN has been involved in a dialogue with the Burmese authorities for four years.
But the BBC correspondent at the UN, Jon Leyne, says so far there has been little to show for it, and this time, once again, the Burmese government has not responded to outside pressure.
The latest confrontation between Ms Suu Kyi and the government has intensified pressure on the country's military rulers.
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It has also drawn more attention to a demand by her National League for Democracy (NLD) that the government convene a parliament by of members elected at polls in May 1990 by 21 August.
The NLD swept those elections but the government ignored the result and rejected demands for democracy.
Saturday, August 15, 1998 Published at 15:05 GMT 16:05 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma activists deported to Thailand
The 18 activists were welcomed back at Bangkok airport
A group of 18 foreign activists who were sentenced to five years' hard labour by a Burmese court have arrived back in Bangkok after being deported.
At a brief trial on Friday, they pleaded guilty to charges of sedition after being arrested for handing out pro-democracy leaflets in the Burmese capital, Rangoon. The group had been held for questioning for six days.
Reporting from neighbouring Thailand, BBC Correspondent David Willis says it is thought that the harsh sentences originally handed out to the foreign detainees were intended to send a signal to other activists who may be planning to enter Burma.
Minutes after the court imposed the sentence, a letter arrived from Burma's Ministry of Home Affairs announcing that as long as the prisoners committed no further violation of Burmese law, they would be deported instead.
The suspension was ordered in "view of bilateral relations between Myanmar and the relevant countries," the home ministry said.
"We were treated like kings and queens" US student Sapna Chhattpar told reporters at Bangkok's airport. "But it's hard to be happy when the people of Burma who have done the same things we have are still under attack."
In contrast, the three Thais in the group said they had been kept in dirty rooms without mats to lie on and no running water.
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Suu Kyi protest
Their release came as Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi entered a fourth day at a road block outside the capital, Rangoon.
Reports say the van in which she was travelling has been towed to the same bridge where she spent six days in a similar confrontation last month, although this time she is thought to have brought extra supplies.
The military government has said it cannot allow her to proceed further for her own safety as there are security problems in the area, and an ambulance had been taken to the site for her safety.
In a statement on Saturday, a government spokesman said efforts were being made to make her roadside stay comfortable as possible and that she had been provided with a tape player and cassettes by Madonna and Michael Jackson "to help Ms Suu Kyi pass the time."
Warning to others
The arrests of the 18 foreigners had sparked strong international condemnation and in Washington, Secretary of State Madaleine Albright welcomed the release. But she said the incident clearly demonstrated Burma's flouting of basic human rights.
She also had words of support for Ms Suu Kyi saying efforts to promote dialogue in Burma have reached what she called "a moment of truth."
Sunday, August 16, 1998 Published at 07:55 GMT 08:55 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi still held at road block
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is spending a fifth day at a roadblock outside the capital, Rangoon, where the authorities are preventing her from travelling on to meet her supporters.
Diplomatic sources in Rangoon say the authorities have towed her vehicle to the same bridge where she spent six days in a similar standoff last month.
The sources say Miss Suu Kyi is believed to be in good health.
Sunday, August 16, 1998 Published at 17:19 GMT 18:19 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi sits tight
Restrictions to movement have been condemned abroad
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is spending a fifth day at a roadblock outside the capital, Rangoon, where the authorities are preventing her from travelling on to meet her supporters.
Diplomatic sources in Rangoon say the authorities have towed her vehicle to the same bridge where she spent six days in a similar stand-off last month.
The sources say Miss Suu Kyi and her three companions are believed to be in good health.
Political stand-off
Together with her companions, Miss Suu Kyi was on her way to Pathein township when their grey minibus was stopped.
Diplomats say the latest stand-off is designed to focus world attention on her deadline of August 21 as the date by which the government should convene the parliament that was elected in 1990.
Miss Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy Party won that election by an overwhelming majority, but the military junta ignored the result.
Instead, it jailed dozens of NLD members on political charges, and sent others fleeing into exile.
Four times in the past two months, government authorities have blocked Miss Suu Kyi's way as she has tried to travel to the countryside to meet her would-be members of parliament.
But despite international criticism, the military government has ridiculed the NLD's ultimatum and the group's latest roadside
50
protest, sending them gifts and promising "every effort to ensure their comfort and safety".
Sunday, August 16, 1998 Published at 19:59 GMT 20:59 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Aung San Suu Kyi still held at road block
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is spending a sixth day at a roadblock outside the capital, Rangoon, where the authorities are preventing her from travelling on to meet her supporters.
Diplomatic sources in Rangoon say the authorities have towed her vehicle to the same bridge where she spent six days in a similar standoff last month.
The sources say Miss Suu Kyi is believed to be in good health.
Monday, August 17, 1998 Published at 14:43 GMT 15:43 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition ask for doctor for Suu Kyi
The Burmese opposition party have asked the country's military government to allow the personal doctor of the party's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to visit her at a roadblock south-west of the capital Rangoon.
Miss Suu Kyi is on the sixth day of a protest against travel restrictions she says are imposed on her by the military authorities.
The government says her journey to visit party colleagues in a nearby townis unsafe.
Last month a similar sit-in ended on its sixth day when the authorities seized Miss Suu Kyi's car and drove her back to the capital.
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There is no independent information on Miss Suu Kyi's condition; the military say they have provided her with fruit, cakes and drinks.
Monday, August 17, 1998 Published at 21:02 GMT 22:02 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Doctor's visit requested for Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi's van has been at the roadblock since Wednesday
The Burmese opposition party, the National League for Democracy, has asked permission for party leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be visited by her personal doctor.
Ms Suu Kyi has spent six days in a van parked at a roadblock in protest at restrictions which she says the Burmese military government has placed on her.
The government says it stopped her at the roadblock because her journey was unsafe.
The NLD leader and Nobel peace laureate was trying to visit party colleauges when she was halted south-west of Rangoon, the Burmese capital.
There is no independent information on Ms Suu Kyi's condition.
The authorities say they have provided her with fruit, cakes and drinks.
'Camping trip'
According to one report, diplomats say the government is trying to belittle Ms Suu Kyi's protest by making it look like a camping trip.
"Ms Suu Kyi, U Hla Pe and their two chauffeurs are continuing taking rest in a camping vehicle near Anyarsu, a small but picturesque village outside Yangon," the government is reported to have said in a statement on Monday.
But the statement also described the NLD as "the number one enemy" of the Burmese people.
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Last month, a similar sit-in ended on its sixth day when the authorities seized Ms Suu Kyi's car and drove her back to the capital. She was suffering severe dehydration.
International leaders have condemned the authorities for stopping the Ms Suu Kyi's journey, and the opposition leader vowed afterwards that she would continue to defy the Burmese Government.
Tuesday, August 18, 1998 Published at 15:53 GMT 16:53 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese junta talks to opposition
Burmese students supporting the opposition
Senior leaders of the Burmese Government have held talks with the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) for the first time in more than a year.
The move is surprising because hours earlier, senior members of Burma's military junta were being quoted as saying that the NLD and its leadership deserved to be annihilated.
A government statement described the encounter as open and cordial and said it could be the first in a series of confidence building meetings.
It said a delegation led by the military intelligence chief, Khin Nyunt, met for 45 minutes at a government guesthouse with the chairman of the NLD, Aung Shwe - for what it termed open, frank and cordial talks.
The BBC's South-East Asia Correspondent, Simon Ingram, says the meeting could mark an important first step in breaking a dangerous political deadlock in Burma.
He says a political breakthrough is seen as a prerequisite for averting the collapse of Burma's stricken economy.
Suu Kyi exclusion
The opposition has turned down previous offers of talks because the military junta said that it is ready for dialogue only, if the party's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is not a participant.
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Our correspondent says the NLD is understood to have come under some pressure from Western governments to show more flexibility in this regard.
Miss Suu Kyi's line has been that while she does not insist on participating in any discussions with the government, the NLD must have the right to choose who its delegation should consist of.
Miss Suu Kyi is spending a seventh day in a minibus on a small road bridge outside Rangoon after being blocked by the security forces on her latest attempt to leave the capital.
Her intention is both to highlight the restrictions imposed on her political activities and to step up pressure on the authorities.
She has demanded that the government convene by this Friday a meeting of the parliament elected in 1990, in which the NLD won an overwhelming majority - a deadline that has been ignored by the regime.
Thursday, August 20, 1998 Published at 11:19 GMT 12:19 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese ex-dissidents call for flexible opposition
Can follow BURMA AUNG SAN SUU KYI Two former Burmese dissidents who returned to the country this week from ten years in exile, have called on the opposition to adopt a more flexible approach to the military government.
Speaking in Rangoon, at a news conference organised by the government, the man and woman Win Naing and Mya Mya Winsaid they had given up their refugee status in Japan to help establish a sound democratic system in Burma.
Other exiles attacked the move as a stunt to deflect attention from what they said were widespread human rights abuses and growing political tension in Burma.
Thursday, August 20, 1998 Published at 11:22 GMT 12:22 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader reportedly weakened by nine-day protest
The Burmese opposition party, the National League for Democracy, says the health of its leader Aung San Suu Kyi is failing and she may be forced to give up her latest roadside protest against government travel restrictions.
The party said she would be prepared to return home if the government agreed to release jailed opposition politicians.
The statement came one day before a deadline, set by the National League for Democracy, for the military government to convene a parliament elected in 1990.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been blocked by the security forces on all her recent attempts to leave the capital.
Last month a similar sit-in ended on its sixth day when the authorities seized her car and drove her back to Rangoon.
Thursday, August 20, 1998 Published at 13:19 GMT 14:19 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi's health 'failing'
The military has refused to let Aung San Suu Kyi's van pass
The Burmese opposition party, the National League for Democracy, has said the health of its leader Aung San Suu Kyi is failing and she may be forced to give up her latest roadside protest against the government.
The NLD said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate would be prepared to return home if the country's military rulers agreed to release opposition politicians who were jailed in May.
Ms Suu Kyi and three supporters are parked in their van on a bridge 32 km from the capital.
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They were halted there by the security forces on 12 August and denied permission to travel to the west of the country. Ms Suu Kyi and her companions have so far refused to return home.
Last month a similar stand-off ended on its sixth day when the authorities forcibly returned Ms Suu Kyi to Rangoon.
'Frail'
In a statement the NLD said Ms Suu Kyi had been visited by her doctor who found her health "frail" but her morale high.
The doctor was quoted as saying Ms Suu Kyi showed signs of dehydration and her eyes were becoming yellow.
The statement said that if the NLD leader's health got worse then she would have to call off her protest. It added that it held the military responsible for Ms Suu Kyi's health.
The latest opposition demand came one day before a deadline, set by the NLD, for the military government to convene a parliament elected in 1990.
The NLD won that election but the result was ignored by the military.
On Thursday, the government again rejected the demands for the result to be respected.
Former dissidents rally to military
Meanwhile, two former Burmese dissidents who returned to the country this week from 10 years in exile called on the opposition to adopt a more flexible approach to the military government.
Speaking in Rangoon at a news conference organised by the military, Win Naing and Mya Mya Win said they had given up their refugee status in Japan to help establish a sound democratic system in Burma.
Other exiles attacked the move as a stunt to deflect attention from what they said were widespread human rights abuses and growing political tension in Burma.
Thursday, August 20, 1998 Published at 20:37 GMT 21:37 UK
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World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition figure knocks Aung San Suu Kyi protest
A Burmese opposition politician has criticised the latest roadside protest by the National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as untimely and inappropriate.
A former senior official of the League for Democracy and Peace, Oo Win Naing, told the BBC that the previous sit-in had been successful in attracting international attention to Burma.
But he said the current stand-off was keeping her away from important political developments in the capital, Rangoon.
Oo Win Naing said dialogue with the government was more useful than confrontation.
On Thursday, two former political exiles also called for the opposition to be more flexible at a news conference in Rangoon organised by the Military Government.
Thursday, August 20, 1998 Published at 20:40 GMT 21:40 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma politician knocks Aung San Suu Kyi protest
In Burma, a former opposition politician has criticised the latest roadside protest by the National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as untimely and inappropriate.
Oo Win Naing, who used to head the League for Democracy and Peace, told the BBC that the previous sit-in had been successful in attracting international attention to Burma.
But he said the current stand-off was keeping her away from important political developments in the capital, Rangoon.
Oo Win Naing said dialogue with the government was more useful than confrontation.
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On Thursday, two former political exiles also called for the opposition to be more flexible at a news conference in Rangoon organised by the Military Government.
Friday, August 21, 1998 Published at 07:56 GMT 08:56 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma's deadline approaches
Aung San Suu Kyi's party has set a deadline to take up its parliamentary seats
Tension is rising in Burma on August 21 - the deadline set by the opposition for the military government to convene parliament or face the consequences.
Burma's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in the country's 1990 elections.
But the military government ignored the poll results and refused to let the elected parliament take its seats.
The BBC's correspondent in the region, David Willis, says that since then, the regime has repressed the opposition, jailing, torturing and intimidating some of its supporters.
He says the deadline is certain to be ignored and the NLD has not said what action it will take, if any, in response.
But despite rumours of protest, the Burmese may be too frightened to take to the streets, fearing a repeat of bloodshed 10 years ago when thousands of people are thought to have died in clashes with the military.
Nobel winner continues protest
The party's leader, Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent the last nine days protesting against a government order preventing her from travelling out of the capital, Rangoon, to meet party supporters.
She has remained parked in her van, 20 miles south-west of the capital, Rangoon, after soldiers blocked her way.
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In newspaper comment columns usually given over to denouncing Aung San Suu Kyi, the state-controlled press has urged people not to be disturbed by rumours which it said were designed to cause civil unrest and anti-government riots.
Possibly in an attempt to defuse any plans for protest, the military has held the first talks with members of the NLD for more than a year. Aung San Suu Kyi was not present.
The NLD has described the military's previous attempts at discussion as insincere.
Friday, August 21, 1998 Published at 09:18 GMT 10:18 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
BURMA OPPOSITION DEADLINE
Burma's state media has intensified its attacks on the opposition leader, Aung San Suu-Kyi, as the military government refused to meet her deadline for the meeting of the parliament elected in 1990.
One government newspaper said she should be deported and her party, the National League for Democracy, declared illegal.
Rangoon was reported to be quiet as the opposition deadline passed.
A BBC correspondent in the city said many Burmese were too frightened to take to the streets.
Aung San Suu Kyi remains in a van outside Rangoon on the tenth day of a protest over government restrictions on her movement.
Friday, August 21, 1998 Published at 14:53 GMT 15:53 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma opposition to convene 'parliament'
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Aung San Suu Kyi's party says it will convene parliament, but the military remains in control
The main opposition party in Burma, the National League for Democracy, says it will convene a parliamentary gathering of the country's principal ethnic groups within the next few days.
A parliament was elected in 1990, but Burma's military authorities have never allowed it to meet.
Since then the NLD - which won more than 80% of the seats - has campaigned for a return to civilian rule.
The NLD leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, had set Friday as the deadline for the military to convene the parliament.
Before the NLD's latest announcement, one government newspaper said Ms Suu Kyi should be deported and her party declared illegal.
The BBC South East Asia correspondent says that despite opposition talk, the evidence on the ground suggests that the army remains very much in control, with the regime jailing, torturing and intimidating some of the opposition supporters.
But despite rumours of protest, the Burmese may be too frightened to take to the streets, fearing a repeat of bloodshed 10 years ago when thousands of people are thought to have died in clashes with the military.
Suu Kyi continues sit-in
The party's leader, Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent the last 10 days protesting against a government order preventing her from travelling out of the capital, Rangoon, to meet party supporters.
She has remained parked in her van, 32km south-west of the capital after soldiers blocked her way. Recently her health was described as "frail", though her morale was said to be still good.
In newspaper comment columns usually given over to denouncing Ms Suu Kyi, the state-controlled press has urged people not to be disturbed by rumours which it said were designed to cause civil unrest and anti-government riots.
Possibly in an attempt to defuse any plans for protest, the military has held the first talks with members of the NLD for more than a year. Ms Suu Kyi was not present.
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The NLD has described the military's previous attempts at discussion as insincere.
Saturday, August 22, 1998 Published at 09:58 GMT 10:58 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader's health "improving"
The health of Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is said to be improving as she enters her eleventh day of a standoff with the ruling Burmese military authoirties.
Ms Suu Kyi and three of her party colleagues from the National League for Democracy are encamped in a van outside Rangoon.
They have been stopped by the government from leaving the city to visit supporters.
Meanwhile the government has still not responded to an announcement by the NLD that they're to hold a parliamentary gathering of Burma's main ethnic groups within the next few days.
About thirty exiled Burmese students in Thailand say they have begun a hunger strike to demand that the military allow the meeting to take place.
Saturday, August 22, 1998 Published at 12:29 GMT 13:29 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Concern over Suu Kyi's health
Suu Kyi's party says it will convene parliament
The opposition National League for Democracy in Burma says the authorities have prevented doctors from visiting the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is in the 12th day of a stand-off with the military government.
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The NLD says Ms Suu Kyi is suffering from kidney problems and low blood pressure.
She and three colleagues remain inside a van on a roadside, 32km west of the capital, Rangoon.
They are protesting against the authorities' refusal to allow her to travel to the city of Bassein, to meet her supporters.
Meanwhile, the government has still not responded to an announcement by the NLD that they are to hold a parliamentary gathering of Burma's main ethnic groups within the next few days.
The National League for Democracy proposed the gathering after the government failed to meet an opposition deadline for a new parliament to be convened.
Parliament never met
A parliament was elected in 1990, but Burma's military authorities have never allowed it to meet.
Since then the NLD - which won more than 80% of the seats - has campaigned for a return to civilian rule.
The BBC South-East Asia correspondent says that despite opposition talk, the evidence on the ground suggests that the army remains very much in control, with the regime jailing, torturing and intimidating some of the opposition supporters.
But despite rumours of protest, the Burmese may be too frightened to take to the streets, fearing a repeat of bloodshed 10 years ago when thousands of people are thought to have died in clashes with the military.
Possibly in an attempt to defuse any plans for protest, the military has held the first talks with members of the NLD for more than a year. Ms Suu Kyi was not present.
The NLD has described the military's previous attempts at discussion as insincere.
Sunday, August 23, 1998 Published at 13:14 GMT 14:14 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
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Aung San Suu Kyi abandons protest
Protest: Aung San Suu Kyi refused offers of comfort from authorities
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has ended her 13-day roadside protest against the military government amid fears for her health.
According to the Burmese opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), their leader returned to her home in the capital Rangoon.
She had been protesting over her right to travel outside the capital,
Party colleagues had urged Ms Suu Kyi to end the protest because of her failing health.
Earlier on Monday riot police broke up a pro-democracy demonstration in the centre of Rangoon.
They dispersed more than 200 protestors who had shouted anti-government slogans and distributed pro-democracy leaflets at a traffic intersection near Rangoon University.
The protest, which ended peacefully, was the first street demonstration against military rule in Burma for nearly two years.
Aung San Suu Kyi and three colleagues stayed inside a van on a roadside, 32km west of the capital, after they were stopped by the authorities.
Ms Suu Kyi was reported to be dehydrated, constipated and refusing all comforts offered to her by the military government.
Bu the NLD said the authorities had prevented doctors from visiting her, despite Ms Suu Kyi suffering from kidney problems and low blood pressure.
'Parliamentary gathering'
Meanwhile, the government has still not responded to an announcement by the NLD that it is to hold a parliamentary gathering of Burma's main ethnic groups within days. The party proposed the gathering after the government failed to meet an opposition deadline for a new parliament to be convened.
A parliament was elected in 1990, but Burma's military authorities have never allowed it to meet.
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Since then the NLD - which won more than 80% of the seats in the 1990 election - has campaigned for a return to civilian rule.
Our correspondent says that despite opposition talk, the army remains in control, with the regime jailing, torturing and intimidating opposition supporters.
After bloodshed 10 years ago when thousands of people are thought to have died in clashes with the military, it was thought democracy protesters may have been too scared to take to the streets.
Possibly in an attempt to defuse plans for protest, the military held the first talks with members of the NLD for more than a year.
But the NLD has described the military's previous attempts at discussion as insincere.
Monday, August 24, 1998 Published at 11:44 GMT 12:44 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese police break up anti-government protest
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has ended her second roadside protest against restrictions on her movements imposed by the military government.
The thirteen-day vigil ended when the National League for Democracy appealed for her to return to the capital, Rangoon, because of fears about her health.
The BBC South-East Asia correspondent says Miss Suu Kyi now faces some important decisions about her attempts to outmanoeuvre a military regime which appears determined to retain power.
Thursday, August 27, 1998 Published at 19:19 GMT 20:19 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
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Burmese military seeks to justify restrictions
The Burmese military government says the travel restrictions it has imposed on the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, are for her own safety.
It said it had banned her from going outside the capital, Rangoon, because she might be the target of an attack by Karen separatist guerrillas.
A military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Hla Min said the government had a responsibility to protect its citizens from political violence.
He said the government was willing to negotiate with what he termed "officially appointed" leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, but it did not recognise her as one of them.
Tuesday, September 1, 1998 Published at 10:20 GMT 11:20 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese authorities threaten opposition
The Burmese military government says it could not rule out imprisoning the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, if she goes ahead with her plan to convene a people's parliament.
Miss Suu Kyi is planning to set up the parliament in the next few weeks as part of her campaign to restore democracy to Burma.
But a government spokesman told the BBC that the authorities would, as he put it, do whatever was necessary to maintain national security.
In a separate interview, Aung San Suu Kyi, said members of her opposition National League for Democracy had to be prepared to go to jail at any time.
Wednesday, September 2, 1998 Published at 07:30 GMT 08:30 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma students hold sit-in protest
Aung San Suu Kyi: Planning to hold civilian parliament
Up to 400 students are reported to have staged a sit-in protest in Burma's capital Rangoon as groups opposed to the military government step up action.
The demonstration at the Institute of Technology comes after last month's street protest against authorities, the first that Burma has seen in two years.
The Associated Press news agency reported that there had been no signs of police attempting to break up the sit-in but senior teaching staff were seen negotiating with the students.
Last month police detained a number of students after breaking up a pro-democracy rally held by up to 1,000 students.
The demonstration followed the end of a 13-day roadside protest by the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, against the military government's restrictions on her movements.
Tension has been growing in Burma after the military government refused to rule out imprisoning the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, if she goes ahead with plans to convene a people's parliament.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent long periods under house arrest, said members of her National League for Democracy were prepared to go to go to jail in their attempts to restore civilian rule in Burma.
Last month, Lt-General Khin Nyunt, one of the government's most senior officers, described the NLD as "obstructionists with evil intentions".
And speaking to the BBC, a government spokesman said that the authorities would do "whatever was necessary to maintain national security".
Wednesday, September 2, 1998 Published at 17:44 GMT 18:44 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Foreign diplomats meet Burma opposition
Burmese students are continuing their protest behind campus gates
Foreign diplomats in Rangoon have met the leader of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, and several members of her executive committee to discuss the party's plans to convene the parliament elected in 1990, in defiance of Burma's military junta.
The meeting took place as student protests in the capital's Institute of Technology came to an end.
And in a rare interview with the BBC, a spokesman for Burma's military government said the military authorities refuse to rule out imprisoning Aung San Suu Kyi if she goes ahead with her plans to create a people's parliament.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent long periods under house arrest, said members of her National League for Democracy party were prepared to go to go to jail in their attempts to restore civilian rule in Burma.
Senior government spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Hla Min, said the NLD's plans could derail national security.
"We could have a lot of problems on our hands. That leaves the government with not much choice but to prevent the from NLD taking that stance, " the colonel said.
Hla Min said that the government found the NLD's policies "detrimental to the interests of the man on the streets".
"The overwhelming majority of people in Myanmar are not obsessed with politics.
"They don't see the periodical right to vote and the chance to express their political desires openly and freely as the number one thing in this country. That will probably come when we are at a more developed stage," he said.
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Last month, Lt-General Khin Nyunt, one of the government's most senior officers, described the NLD as "obstructionists with evil intentions".
Student protest ends
The biggest display of discontent with the military government in recent years - a 500-strong student sit-in protest at Rangoon's Institute of Technology - has ended peacefully.
The demonstration came after last month's street protest against authorities, the first that Burma has seen in two years.
It is reported that there were no signs of police attempting to break up the sit-in, but senior teaching staff were seen negotiating with the students.
Last month police detained a number of students after breaking up a pro-democracy rally held by up to 1,000 students.
The demonstration followed the end of a 13-day roadside protest by the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, against the military government's restrictions on her movements.
Monday, September 7, 1998 Published at 10:57 GMT 11:57 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition says members arrested
The Burmese opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi says the country's military government has arrested more than one-hundred of its members.
The party -- the National League for Democracy -- said those detained included fifty elected members of parliament.
It said the arrests were carried out over the past two days, mainly outside the capital, Rangoon.
Correspondents say the arrests appear to be linked to last month's announcement by the League that it planned to convene the parliament, which was elected in 1990 but prevented from taking office.
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The arrests also follow street protests against military rule last week.
Saturday, September 12, 1998 Published at 07:01 GMT 08:01 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese military detain 800 opposition
The military authorities in Burma have continued to detain members of the opposition National League for Democracy.
In an interview with the BBC, the NLD leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said more than seven hundred members had been held in the last few days and reports were still coming in of further arrests throughout the country.
She said those detained included nearly two hundred members of the parliament which was elected in 1990 but never allowed to sit.
Aung San Suu Kyi said the party remained undaunted by the military's action and intended to go ahead with its campaign to have parliament convened. (The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 elections).
Monday, September 14, 1998 Published at 07:23 GMT 08:23 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese military detain 800 opposition
The military authorities in Burma have continued to detain members of the opposition National League for Democracy.
In an interview with the BBC, the NLD leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said more than seven hundred members had been held in the last
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few days and reports were still coming in of further arrests throughout the country.
She said those detained included nearly two hundred members of the parliament which was elected in 1990 but never allowed to sit.
Aung San Suu Kyi said the party remained undaunted by the military's action and intended to go ahead with its campaign to have parliament convened. (The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 elections).
Friday, September 18, 1998 Published at 17:22 GMT 18:22 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Analysis: Burma anniversary - opposition checkmate?
Burma's military government has a poor history of tolerating challenges to its rule
Asia analyst Angie Knox assesses the latest move in Burma's political manoeuvring.
The Burmese Government's muted response to the most serious challenge to its authority to date has taken many observers by surprise.
In recent weeks, the State Peace and Development Council - as the military junta is now known - has made sweeping arrests of opposition supporters, including nearly 200 elected members of parliament from the National League for Democracy.
The crackdown was prompted by calls from the NLD leadership to convene the parliament, elected eight years ago but never allowed to meet.
Now the NLD has said it is setting up a 10-person committee, headed by party leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which will take on all the powers and functions of parliament.
Its first move was to call for the immediate release of all political prisoners. The committee has also pledged to annul all laws and proclamations issued by the military authorities since they took power 10 years ago.
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In response, a government statement said the SPDC had noted with interest the NLD's decision to set up a parliament unilaterally.
But it asked how the new body planned to fulfil the responsibilities of government. The statement said the NLD had never put forward any serious specific measures on how it intended to govern.
Until these issues were clarified, the statement continued, the current government would continue to shoulder the real responsibilities of running the country.
But the statement fell short of labelling the NLD initiative as illegal.
Analysts say the cautious response is indicative of the difficult position the military government finds itself in.
It has already rounded up most of the NLD's politicians; to arrest top opposition leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, would bring immediate international protests.
Such a move could also risk provoking unrest within Burma, where Aung San Suu Kyi is held in high regard as the daughter of independent Burma's founding father, General Aung San.
But the NLD's latest move poses a serious challenge to the junta. The legitimacy of the NLD rests on the fact that it won a resounding victory in the 1990 elections, a result the government refused to recognise.
So its calls for parliament or a substitute to convene hits at the very heart of the military government's tenuous claim to power.
Setting up a mini-parliament will also give the NLD a public platform to debate issues of concern to ordinary Burmese - such as the ailing economy and why the education system has been brought to at a virtual standstill.
But at the same time, the leaders of the NLD are taking a serious risk in setting up a de facto parliament. The military government has a poor history of tolerating challenges to its rule. The next move in this Burmese political chess game could be a crucial one - for both players.
Sunday, September 20, 1998 Published at 15:15 GMT 16:15 UK
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World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader appeals for help
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has appealed for international recognition and support for a committee set up to represent members of parliament who were elected in 1990 but never allowed to take their seats.
Many members of the parliament have been arrested in recent days along with other opposition supporters.
In a tape smuggled out of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi said the ten member committee had been given a mandate by the two-hundred-and-fifty-four members of parliament to act on their behalf.
She said all laws passed by the current military government were inavlid until approved by the parliament. The opposition National League for Democracy says eight-hundred of its activisits have been arrested since May.
Monday, September 21, 1998 Published at 00:16 GMT 01:16 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader appeals for help
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has appealed for international recognition and support for a committee set up to represent members of parliament who were elected in 1990 but never allowed to take their seats.
Many members of the parliament have been arrested in recent days along with other opposition supporters.
In a tape smuggled out of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi said the ten member committee had been given a mandate by the two-hundred-and-fifty-four members of parliament to act on their behalf.
She said all laws passed by the current military government were inavlid until approved by the parliament. The opposition National League for Democracy says eight-hundred of its activisits have been arrested since May.
Wednesday, September 30, 1998 Published at 11:35 GMT 12:35 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese regime stages mass rally against Suu Kyi
The Burmese military government has organised another mass rally to protest against the National League for Democracy, or NLD, and to call for the deportation of its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Burmese state media reported that twenty-thousand people gathered at a sports stadium in Monywa to hear speakers condemn the NLD for encouraging economic sanctions against Burma and for demanding the convening of parliament.
The government has recently been steeping up pressure on the NLD -- this is the third similar rally in a week and the NLD says more than a thousand of its members have now been detained since it called on the government to convene parliament.
Monday, October 19, 1998 Published at 09:31 GMT 10:31 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
British 'infatuated' with Suu Kyi, says Burma
Burma has accused the British government of being infatuated with the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and says London seeks to promote her cause at any cost.
The charge was made in a letter from Burma's ambassador in Washington, Tin Winn, to a Foreign Office minister, which was released in Rangoon.
It follows a call for a further tightening of sanctions against Burma, by the minister, because of the human rights record of the military junta.
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The ambassador said tighter sanctions would be blunt and immoral and hurt only the poorest in Burma.
The leader of the Burmese National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, says recent mass resignations from her party have been forced by the military government.
Aung San Suu Kyi, in her first public apprearance for two months, told journalists and diplomats in Rangoon that support for the NLD -- which overwhelmingly won the last general election in 1990 -- remained strong.
She vowed to continue her campaign for a parliament to be convened of elected representatives.
At the weekend, a Burmese military spokesman said all those who had resigned from the NLD had done so voluntarily, having seen the error of their ways during extended visits to government guest houses.
Several hundred party members remain in detention.
Thursday, December 10, 1998 Published at 14:12 GMT
Burma's high price for freedom
Aung San Suu Kyi is for many, a living embodiment of the fight for human freedoms.
The BBC's Sue Lloyd-Roberts visited her in Burma on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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It is absurd the lengths you have to go to today to meet with Burma's only democratically elected leader.
I set off from my hotel at 5.00 in the morning, advised by her friends to dress like a local which means a long skirt they call a lunghi and flip-flops, not ideal for navigating one's way through Rangoon's pot-holed roads in the dark.
The plot was to get to the house where I was due to meet her before dawn and therefore before the military intelligence officers had taken up their positions outside.
The men from MI routinely surround any of the houses which she is likely to visit but, fortunately, unlike me, they are not into pre-dawn arrivals.
All went according to plan until Aung San Suu Kyi herself arrived some five hours later.
"Oh no," she said, looking at the way I had tied my lunghi which is a length of cloth sewn together and tied at the waist. "That's not the way to do it." She proceeded to strip me down and start again - it was not the first time I was to be stripped that day.
She has had a terrible year.
Hundreds more supporters of her National League for Democracy party have been arrested. Her attempts to leave Rangoon during the summer and visit the families of political prisoners outside the city were thwarted by the military who, at one point, physically lifted the car she was travelling in by a fork lift truck - and pointed it back in the direction she had come from.
There are army checkpoints along the street leading to her home and her phone has been cut off.
Does this mean the opposition in Burma is finished, I asked her.
"Certainly not," she said. "I mean if we did not have the support of the people, they would not have to keep on arresting us, would they?
"If we were no threat they would leave us alone."
I am not a particularly large person but alongside Aung San Suu Kyi, I feel huge. It never ceases to amaze me when I meet her how much fight and determination can be contained in this tiny, doll like figure.
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She expresses frustration with the people of Burma for failing to show their discontent.
Those who dare, tell you, while looking over their shoulder, that they love the woman they call "The Lady" but they are afraid.
There have been too many arrests and people's strength has been sapped by economic hardship.
Ten years of waiting
It has been ten years since the last mass anti government demonstration in Burma during which thousands were killed.
Does she not expect too much from the people, given the risks?
"We all have to pay a high price for freedom", she said.
And, I ask, I suppose you with your self imposed exile from your family in England for the past ten years are the best example of this kind of sacrifice?
"I would not be so presumptuous as to call it sacrifice," she almost snaps back.
"I am doing this because I want to. I believe in what I am doing."
But she looks painfully vulnerable and isolated and her situation looks increasingly hopeless. I have this sudden vision of her, in thirty years time, still living in her home on the edge of Lake Inya, even more isolated from her friends and family, the generals are still in charge and her only visitors are passing journalists and biographers.
Will it all have been worth it? Will she ever inherit Burma?
But that, I was told by one of her friends, is to miss the point. On this, the eve of the UN Declaration on Human Rights, Aung San Suu Kyi is the living symbol of the spirit of that worthy declaration.
She may not expect to inherit Burma. But if she, as an individual, has to spend 30 or 40 years of her life standing up to one of the most brutal regimes we have ever seen - that in itself will be no mean epitaph.
But that is to take a very pessimistic view of Burma.
I am told by a Burmese monk that what we are seeing is a battle between good and evil and good is bound to triumph.
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A general of one of the rebel armies reminds me that a look back at history proves that military regimes always fall in the end.
The underground leaders in Rangoon tell me that it will take time to restore democracy and they refer to their five and ten year prison sentences as necessary steps in this process.
Deportation
After I have left Suu Kyi, I am arrested, strip searched and deported from the country.
In the car on the way to the airport my guard says in a loud voice: "You have done a terrible thing, visiting this evil woman". But he is speaking for the benefit of the driver.
Under his breath, he mumbles, "I am so sorry, I am so sorry".
Burmese military accuse Aung San Suu Kyi of empty gestures
The military government in Burma has accused the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, of empty political gestures and trying to seek publicity.
It was responding to a statement last week by Mrs Suu Kyi that the authorities might deport her.
The government urged her party, the National League for Democracy, to be more constructive and to help Burma get through the Asian economic crisis.
Correspondents say there's been a campaign in the official Burmese media questioning whether Mrs Suu Kyi is still entitled to Burmese nationality, because she's married to a British citizen.
The National League for Democracy in Burma says it has started legal action against a leading figure in the military government, Lieutenant-general Khin Nyunt.
The NLD said in a statement the action accuses Khin Nyunt of arbitrarily arresting party members and coercing them to resign from the NLD.
Last weekend the government-controlled press said that the Burmese military authorities were considering whether to arrest the NLD leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on charges of making contact with illegal groups, including Karen guerrillas.
Wednesday, January 13, 1999 Published at 11:43 GMT
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese democracy leader dismisses defections
The leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, says the party has not been damaged by the resignation of several hundred of its members.
She told the BBC that they were a tiny proportion of the party's members.
She added that they had never been active in the organisation.
Aung San Suu Kyi also accused the government of reporting the resignation of people who had never been members of the party.
The National League for Democracy has started a lawsuit against Burma's military intelligence authorities, charging them with forcing party members to resign.
The government says it is being "cautious" to prevent renewed unrest
The leader of the Burmese opposition Aung San Suu Kyi says more than 145 of her party's members have been detained by the government in a series of recent roundups.
As Burma begins its 38th year of military dictatorship the government has reiterated its position that there must be order in the country before progress towards democratisation can take place.
Aung San Suu Kyi says that a number of members of the National League for Democracy have been held at so-called government guesthouses where they were persuaded to resign from the party.
The government denies putting pressure on opposition politicians but the statement from Miss Suu Kyi is unlikely to better the already battered image of the Burmese government overseas.
'Stability and prosperity'
The country's newly appointed Foreign Minister Win Aung says it is the government's responsibility to protect Burma's "silent majority" against the excesses of the NLD and the government was merely being "cautious".
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Win Aung said the NLD leadership had slandered government efforts to bring stability and prosperity to the country.
He said the universities, closed for much of the past decade, would reopen "as soon as possible".
The foreign minister said they had been closed because the students had been "misused" by political forces "to rally and bring down the government".
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He said many outsiders misunderstood the situation in Burma, but he said people are free to go about their normal daily business "protected from the anarchy that could come back very easily."
The government says it is being "cautious" to prevent renewed unrest
The leader of the Burmese opposition Aung San Suu Kyi says more than 145 of her party's members have been detained by the government in a series of recent roundups.
As Burma begins its 38th year of military dictatorship the government has reiterated its position that there must be order in the country before progress towards democratisation can take place.
Aung San Suu Kyi says that a number of members of the National League for Democracy have been held at so-called government guesthouses where they were persuaded to resign from the party.
The government denies putting pressure on opposition politicians but the statement from Miss Suu Kyi is unlikely to better the already battered image of the Burmese government overseas.
'Stability and prosperity'
The country's newly appointed Foreign Minister Win Aung says it is the government's responsibility to protect Burma's "silent majority" against the excesses of the NLD and the government was merely being "cautious".
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Win Aung said the NLD leadership had slandered government efforts to bring stability and prosperity to the country.
He said the universities, closed for much of the past decade, would reopen "as soon as possible".
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The foreign minister said they had been closed because the students had been "misused" by political forces "to rally and bring down the government".
He said many outsiders misunderstood the situation in Burma, but he said people are free to go about their normal daily business "protected from the anarchy that could come back very easily."
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says negotiation with the military dictatorship which rules Burma is unavoidable.
She told the BBC said that situations like Burma always end at the negotiating table and she hoped it would happen sooner rather than later.
"The more intelligent people get to the negotiation table quicker because they know that it is unavoidable, the less intelligent people think that they can avoid it," she said in an exclusive interview with the BBC's David Willis.
On Wednesday the NLD leader announced that 145 members of her party have been detained by the government and persuaded to resign from the party. Ms Suu Kyi told David Willis this is part of a 10-year process of intimidation of her party.
"The important thing is that none of these resignations are valid because there is no parliament to which they can submit their resignation," she said.
The NLD won elections in Burma in 1990 by a large majority, but the military annulled the results and Burma's leaders have consistently refused to negotiate with any members of the opposition.
Disunity and NLD
On Wednesday, the new Foreign Minister Win Aung told the BBC that there must be order and unity in Burma before progress towards democratisation can take place.
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The NLD stands accused by the government of trying to wreck that unity and slandering government efforts to bring stability and prosperity to the country. Ms Suu Kyi said unity is something that comes only after a process of settling differences.
"What exactly do they mean by unity? If they think that unity can be imposed by intimidating people by guns they are very much mistaken. Unity is something that comes from within."
Win Aung also said the Burma universities, which have been closed for two years and for much of the past decade, would reopen "as soon as possible". He added that they had been closed because the students had been "misused" by political forces "to rally and bring down the government".
Ms Suu Kyi responded that the universities are unlikely to re-open any time soon.
"The government, the present military authorities are nervous of the students and they know that the students have a lot to be dissatisfied about."
Finally, when asked what the NLD's plans are for the next few months, Ms Suu Kyi would not commit herself.
"We never talk about our future plans," she said with a smile. "That would be too dangerous."
It's been confirmed that Michael Aris, the British husband of the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is seriously ill with cancer.
Requests to the Burmese military authorities to grant him a visa so he could visit his wife have not been answered.
Previous requests in the past three years by Mr Aris to be allowed into Burma were turned down.
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Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to wish to leave the country for fear the military government would prevent her from returning.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her courage in standing up to the military regime. Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, won the1990 general election by a landslide, but the generals who had seized power two years earlier ignored the results.
The United States government has urged the Burmese authorities to grant a visitor's visa to the British husband of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, Michael Aris.
Burma says it's reviewing his request, but expressed surprise that Dr Aris, who is seriously ill with cancer, should consider making the trip.
It suggested it would be better for Aung San Suu Kyi to travel to Britain.
Dr Aris has not been allowed to visit Burma for the past three years and his wife is reluctant to leave the country to see him, in case she might not be allowed back in. The American State Department said that denying Mr Aris a visa would demonstrate a complete lack of compassion.
Aung San Suu Kyi's husband has often been denied visits to Burma
The United States has urged the Burmese authorities to grant a visitor's visa to the British husband of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, Michael Aris.
Burma says it is reviewing his visa request, but expressed surprise that Dr Aris, who is seriously ill with cancer, should consider making the trip. It argues that it would be more sensible for her to visit him.
A statement from the Burmese Government said: "The government of Myanmar suggests that Ms Suu Kyi, who is in perfect health, travel to England to respond to her husband's dying wish to see her. She has so far refused to go."
Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to wish to leave the country for fear the military government would prevent her from returning.
The government said it would provide Ms Suu Kyi "all possible assistance" to join her husband. But it did not say if she would be allowed to return if she did so.
The statement went on to say that considering Dr Aris's medical condition, a trip to Burma would be "both irresponsible and inhumane."
Visa requests turned down
Previous visa requests in the past three years by Dr Aris to be allowed into Burma have been turned down.
Since Mr Aris' diagnosis a few months ago there have been numerous appeals to the Burmese Government to grant a visa on humanitarian grounds. These have come from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Nations, among others.
His family say he is anxious to visit his wife before he dies.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the man who led Burma to independence, is the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy.
Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the generals ignored the results.
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Since Aung San Suu Kyi was released in 1995 after almost six years of house arrest, she has remained the military rulers' major political opponent.
The military authorities have often accused Aung San Suu Kyi of being a pawn of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.
Sources close to the family say they hope Michael Aris's illness will be treated as a family matter with compassion and not used for political purposes.
The Burmese government has said it's prepared to allow the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to visit her seriously ill husband in Britain, and then return to Burma.
A government statement said it saw no difficulty in Miss Suu Kyi coming back to Burma after such a trip as long as it was for purely humanitarian reasons.
A government spokesman told the Reuters news agency that a senior military officier had tried to tell her of the decision earlier today, but she had refused to listen.
Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi has been concerned that if she left Burma the military government would not allow her to return.
The military government of Burma has said it sees "no difficulty" in prominent opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi returning to the country after visiting her dying husband in the UK.
Ms Suu Kyi is believed to be unwilling to leave Burma, because of fears that she would not be allowed to come back.
This is the first time the authorities have expressly stated that they are not opposed to her return.
Her British husband, Michael Aris, was diagnosed as terminally ill with cancer several months ago and is anxious to see his wife before he dies.
A Burmese Government spokesman said her visit would be acceptable as long as it was not used for political purposes.
"The government of Myanmar [Burma] sees no difficulty for Ms Suu Kyi in returning back to Myanmar after her visit to see her husband, believing that the trip be purely humanitarian and one of a family affair in nature," he said.
'Pawn of Western imperialism'
But the spokesman said that a military officer who delivered the message to Ms Suu Kyi had been cut short and she had not allowed him to finish the message.
The government will reportedly deliver a full statement on the decision later.
Aung San Suu Kyi - the daughter of the man who led Burma to independence - is the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy.
Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the country's military leaders ignored the results.
Ms Suu Kyi remains the military government's major political opponent, despite spending almost six years under house arrest. She was released in 1995.
The military authorities have often accused her of being a pawn of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.
Mr Aris has made repeated applications to visit Burma - backed by appeals from the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Nations.
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Burma is "reviewing" his visa request, but argues that it would be more sensible for Ms Suu Kyi to visit him.
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is reported to have rejected an offer by the military government of Burma allowing her to return to the country after visiting her dying husband in the UK.
Ms Suu Kyi is believed to be unwilling to leave Burma, because of fears that she would not be allowed to come back.
The authorities have actively encouraged her to visit her husband, but this was the first time that have expressly stated they would not oppose her return.
Her British husband, Michael Aris, was diagnosed as terminally ill with prostate cancer several months ago and is anxious to see his wife before he dies.
A Burmese Government spokesman said her visit would be acceptable as long as it was not used for political purposes.
"The government of Myanmar [Burma] sees no difficulty for Ms Suu Kyi in returning back to Myanmar after her visit to see her husband, believing that the trip be purely humanitarian and one of a family affair in nature," he said.
'Pawn of Western imperialism'
But military officers who delivered the offer to Ms Suu Kyi were reportedly cut short and not allowed to finish the message.
"Regretfully, she refused the government's offer and the discussion abruptly ended with the officers [told] to leave her residence," the spokesman said.
Aung San Suu Kyi - the daughter of the man who led Burma to independence - is the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy.
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Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the country's military leaders ignored the results.
Ms Suu Kyi remains the military government's major political opponent, despite spending almost six years under house arrest. She was released in 1995.
The military authorities have often accused her of being a pawn of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.
Mr Aris has made repeated applications to visit Burma - backed by appeals from the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the United Nations.
Burma is "reviewing" his visa request, but argues that it would be more sensible for Ms Suu Kyi to visit him.
Michael Aris: Understood the Burmese people came first
Michael Aris, the husband of the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has died of prostate cancer on his 53rd birthday.
The British academic succumbed after a long illness without realising his wish to see his wife one last time.
Described as a "courageous and patient man", Dr Aris has campaigned tirelessly for Burmese democracy and received hundreds of awards on his wife's behalf.
They included the Nobel Peace Prize she was given in 1991 for her efforts to bring peace and democracy to Burma.
A senior research fellow in Tibetan and Himalayan studies at St Antony's College, Oxford University, he wrote numerous books and articles on Buddhism in Bhutan and Tibet.
The establishment of Oxford's specialist Tibetan and Himalayan studies centre was his life-long dream.
Visa denied
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Dr Aris was born in Cuba, where his father was a career officer with the British Council. His mother was the daughter of a French-Canadian ambassador.
He married Ms Suu Kyi on New Year's Day 1972 in a simply Buddhist ceremony in England, but it was always on the understanding that they would have to be apart if the Burmese people needed her.
They have two sons, Kim and Alexander.
In the final months of his life, Dr Aris repeatedly attempted to gain a visa to visit his wife in Burma, but his wish was frustrated by the military government's stalling.
Ms Suu Kyi declined to leave the country after her return there to nurse her mother in 1988, for fear that she would not be readmitted.
Five brief visits
She was placed under house arrest by Burma's military government in 1989 following anti-government demonstrations that propelled her to the head of the opposition movement.
Mr Aris had only seen his wife on five brief occasions in the last 10 years - the last being in Rangoon for Christmas in 1995 after her release from house arrest.
Appeals by several countries, prominent individuals and organisations were made to the Burmese authorities to allow Mr Aris a visa.
The United States, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Pope were among them, but none were successful.
The husband of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has died at a hospital in Oxfordshire.
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Michael Aris was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer several months ago. He died on his 53rd birthday.
Dr Aris - a senior research fellow of Tibetan and Himalayan studies at St Antony's College, Oxford University - had been in negotiations with Burma's military government to visit his wife before he died.
They last saw each other three years ago.
Ms Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, released a brief statement through diplomats after learning of her husband's death.
"On behalf of my sons, Alexander and Kim, as well as on my own behalf, I want to thank all those around the world who have supported my husband during his illness and have given me and my family love and sympathy," the statement said.
Ms Suu Kyi was with friends and diplomats when she learned of her husband's death.
Visas denied
The couple married in 1972 after they met while she was a student at Oxford. She agreed to wed Dr Aris on the provision that he would understand that she must return to Burma, if her people needed her.
In 1988 she returned to Burma to nurse her dying mother. During her visit a nationwide uprising against military rule erupted and she emerged as the movement's leader.
After her return, the Burmese authorities stalled and repeatedly denied Mr Aris's visa requests, insisting that Ms Suu Kyi "who is in perfect health" should travel to see him.
On Friday she received an offer by the Burmese authorities allowing her to visit her husband in the UK and return to Burma, but refused because of fears that she would not be readmitted.
'Pawn of Western imperialism'
Ms Suu Kyi, whose father, General Aung San, led Burma to independence, is the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy.
Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the country's military leaders have ignored the results.
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Ms Suu Kyi remains the military government's major political opponent, despite spending almost six years under house arrest. She was released in 1995.
The military authorities have often accused her of being a pawn of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.
The husband of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has died at a hospital in Oxfordshire.
Michael Aris was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer several months ago. He died on his 53rd birthday.
Dr Aris - a senior research fellow of Tibetan and Himalayan studies at St Antony's College, Oxford University - had been in negotiations with Burma's military government to visit his wife before he died.
They last saw each other three years ago.
Ms Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, released a brief statement through diplomats after learning of her husband's death.
"On behalf of my sons, Alexander and Kim, as well as on my own behalf, I want to thank all those around the world who have supported my husband during his illness and have given me and my family love and sympathy," the statement said.
Ms Suu Kyi was with friends and diplomats when she learned of her husband's death.
Visas denied
The couple married in 1972 after they met while she was a student at Oxford. She agreed to wed Dr Aris on the provision that he would understand that she must return to Burma, if her people needed her.
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In 1988 she returned to Burma to nurse her dying mother. During her visit a nationwide uprising against military rule erupted and she emerged as the movement's leader.
After her return, the Burmese authorities stalled and repeatedly denied Mr Aris's visa requests, insisting that Ms Suu Kyi "who is in perfect health" should travel to see him.
On Friday she received an offer by the Burmese authorities allowing her to visit her husband in the UK and return to Burma, but refused because of fears that she would not be readmitted.
'Pawn of Western imperialism'
Ms Suu Kyi, whose father, General Aung San, led Burma to independence, is the leader of the country's main opposition party, the National League for Democracy.
Although the NLD overwhelmingly won the 1990 general elections, the country's military leaders have ignored the results.
Ms Suu Kyi remains the military government's major political opponent, despite spending almost six years under house arrest. She was released in 1995.
The military authorities have often accused her of being a pawn of Western imperialism because of her marriage to a British citizen.
Burma has offered to grant a visa to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi so that she can attend the funeral of her British husband, Michael Aris.
The military government said she would be given permission to leave Burma and allowed back into the country.
But the US has criticised Burma's handling of a visa application by Michael Aris, who died on Saturday in Oxfordshire, Britain.
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Secretary of State Madeline Albright said Burma had shown a "callous disregard" of human rights.
Mrs Albright added: "[Dr Aris] sacrificed the companionship of his beloved wife for 10 years so that she could stand with her people in Burma to struggle for human rights and democracy."
Visa refusal
Dr Aris applied for a visa to visit his wife, who he had last seen three years ago, after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
The Burmese authorities turned down his request but said Mrs Suu Kyi could visit him in Britain.
She refused fearing she would not be allowed to return to Burma, where she is the government's most high profile opponent.
Burma now says Mrs Suu Kyi can attend his funeral and offered its "sincere condolences".
A spokesman said: "[The government] stands ready in providing Mrs Suu Kyi with all possible assistance if she desires to travel to England to attend the funeral rites and family affairs at this time of bereavement."
But it is thought that she is unlikely to go, again for fear of not being allowed to return to Burma.
Mrs Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, rose to political prominence during a national uprising in 1998.
She emerged as the leader of the movement against political rule. In 1990, her NLD political party overwhelmingly won a general election but the result was ignored by the military rulers.
Monday, March 29, 1999 Published at 15:10 GMT 16:10 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi 'refuses funeral visa'
Aung San Suu Kyi on the BBC before her husband's death
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not accept an
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offer from the military government to allow her to travel to the UK for her husband's funeral.
Reports say she does not believe she would be allowed back into Burma if she leaves the country.
Her husband, Michael Aris, died on Saturday - his 53rd birthday - from prostate cancer.
He had been refused a visa to Burma after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Mrs Suu Kyi declined an visa offer from the authorities to see him alive for the last time in the UK.
She said she did not believe a government guarantee that she would be allowed to return to Burma afterwards.
Her friends say she still does not think the government will allow her back into Burma if she leaves for the funeral service in the UK.
Years of separation
Dr Aris, an academic at Oxford University, had not seen his wife for three years before his death.
Burma's refusal to grant him a visa, so he could see his wife one last time after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, was criticised by human rights groups and the US government.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said: "Dr Aris sacrificed the companionship of his beloved wife for 10 years so she could stand with her people in Burma."
The Burmese authorities said it would have been irresponsible and inhumane to let Dr Aris travel in his condition, and recommended that she visited him.
But correspondents have cited past occasions when the government did not honour pledges to Mrs Suu Kyi.
These include a pledge to recognise the result of 1990 national elections, which her party won by a landslide.
A Buddhist funeral ceremony will take place at the Suu Kyi residence in Burma on Friday, reports said.
The Aris family said there would be a private funeral service in the UK in the next few days and a memorial service at a later date.
Friday, April 2, 1999 Published at 08:17 GMT 09:17 UK
World: Asia-PacificA thousand mourners join Aung San Suu Kyi
More than one-thousand people have joined the leader of the Burmese National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, at her home in Rangoon for a Buddhist ceremony to mark the seventh day of mourning for her late husband, Michael Aris.
He died in a London hospital having been refused a visa by the Burmese military government to visit his wife.
Mr Aris, a professor of Tibetan studies at Oxford University, died of cancer.
Correspondents say it was one of the largest gatherings at Suu Kyi's home since her release from house arrest four years ago.
Diplomats from the United States, Europe, Japan and the Philippines were among those attending.
Friday, April 2, 1999 Published at 11:29 GMT 12:29 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Buddhist ceremony for Suu Kyi's husband
Dr Aris had not seen his wife for three years
More than 1,000 people gathered at the home of the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Friday, for a religious ceremony to honour her late husband, Dr Michael Aris.
Chanted rites were led by 53 Buddhist monks.
Professor Aris died in Britain from prostate cancer last Saturday.
Refused visa
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The Burmese authorities had refused to grant him a visa to visit Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, after he had been diagnosed with the terminal disease.
The military government said it did not have the medical facilities to care for a terminally ill patient, and urged Mrs Suu Kyi to travel to Britain, promising she would be allowed to return to Myanmar.
Mrs Suu Kyi decided against travelling to the UK to see her husband before he died, because she said she did not believe a guarantee that she would be allowed to return to Burma afterwards.
Dr Aris, an Oxford University academic, had not seen his wife, with whom he had two sons, for three years before his death.
After Dr Aris died, Mrs Suu Kyi said she had been privileged to have had a "wonderful" husband who had always given her understanding.
She also turned down an offer from the government to help her travel to England for the funeral on Thursday.
Security forces made no attempt to stop the hundreds of mourners who entered the compound to attend Friday's Buddhist rites ceremony, although police took their names and addresses.
Diplomats
The ceremony marked the seventh day of mourning for Dr Aris.
Ambassadors and other diplomats from the United States, European countries and Japan attended.
The only South-East Asian nation to send a diplomat was the Philippines, which had urged the Burmese Government to grant Dr Aris a visa.
Other mourners included veteran members of Burma's pro-democracy movement, and members of parties representing some of the country's ethnic groups.
Kyi Maung, former Vice Chairman of Mrs Suu Kyi's political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), was also there.
Aung San Suu Kyi made no public statement at the ceremony, nor did she speak to supporters, although she did shake hands with several diplomats.
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Mourners brought bouquets and wreaths and signed books of condolence.
'Support still strong'
Mrs Suu Kyi is locked in political stalemate with the Burmese Government, which has said that more than 10,000 NLD members have voluntarily resigned.
She says that many of the resignations were bogus or coerced under threats from soldiers, and that support for her party is still strong.
The death of Dr Aris was also marked in Bangkok, where dozens of exiled Burmese students held their own Buddhist rites ceremony, and chanted anti-government slogans outside the Burmese Embassy.
Friday, April 9, 1999 Published at 11:32 GMT 12:32 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader calls for human rights
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has urged the United Nations to take action after what she called the worst year of repression in Burma for almost a decade.
In a recorded message to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, meeting in Geneva, the Nobel peace prize winner appealed to the international community to exert greater pressure on Burma's military government to restore democratic rule.
Miss Suu Kyi said more than one hundred and fifty elected members of parliament, along with many ordinary members of her National League for Democracy, were still in detention.
Aung San Suu Kyi said the world had not fully grasped the extent of the oppression by the military regime. The BBC south-east Asia correspondent says Miss Suu Kyi's call comes amid continued political deadlock in Burma, and is sure to further enrage the government.
Friday, April 9, 1999 Published at 12:24 GMT 13:24 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
'Bad year for Burma'
Aung San Suu Kyi told the UN that oppression had become worse
By South-East Asia Correspondent Simon Ingram
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, says the human rights situation in the country has deteriorated sharply in the past year, and has urged the international community to exert greater pressure on the military government.
Ms Suu Kyi's comments came in a secretly-recorded message to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, which is holding its annual meeting in Geneva this week.
Thanks for support
Aung San Suu Kyi expressed gratitude for the support the outside world had given to the Burmese opposition and to its campaign to restore democratic rule. But she said the world had not fully grasped the extent of the oppression being carried out by the military regime.
Many members of the National League for Democracy had been detained, she said, along with over 150 elected deputies from the aborted 1990 election in which the NLD won a big majority.
The party, Ms Suu Kyi said, had suffered far more in the past 12 months than it had in the previous six or seven years put together.
Call for action
"What we need now is more than just mere words," Miss Suu Kyi said.
"We need concrete action, because our people are suffering not just from an onslaught of words, but from the deprivation of basic justice in our country."
The NLD leader urged this week's session of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva to draw up a firm resolution to protect the basic rights of the people of Burma.
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Ms Suu Kyi's call comes amid continued political deadlock in the country. It is sure to further enrage a regime whose hardline strategy against dissent was again on display last month, when it denied Miss Suu Kyi's dying husband, Michael Aris, a visa that would have allowed him a final reunion with his wife.
Monday, May 3, 1999 Published at 01:46 GMT 02:46 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burma's opposition shows split
Aung San Suu Kyi has come under fire from her own party
By South East Asia Correspondent Simon Ingram
There are signs of dissent within the ranks of Burma's main opposition party amid continuing political stalemate.
Last month parliamentary members of the National League for Democracy issued a statement calling for renewed attempts to begin dialogue with the military government. They were implicitly critical of the strategy adopted by the internationally respected party leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Now the NLD has issued a sharply worded riposte, accusing the party critics of being lackeys of the military.
The letter, signed by 25 NLD MPs, is an unusually forthright indictment of the party's recent political strategy and, implicitly at least, an attack on Miss Suu Kyi.
It was Miss Suu Kyi, who, last year, sought to raise the stakes in the NLD's long-running confrontation with the military government by demanding the convening of the parliament elected in 1990 - an election the military never recognised.
According to the letter, her call backfired disastrously, encouraging the government to begin the systematic dismantling of the NLD leadership, detaining hundreds of people and forcing many to resign their party membership.
'Lackeys' of the military
At least one of the signatories, Than Tun, has voiced criticism of the NLD leadership before. His outburst this time has brought a
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fierce response. A statement issued by the NLD leadership singled out Than Tun and two other signatories, all three of whom were temporarily detained by the authorities, denouncing them as lackeys of Burmese military intelligence. It accused them of attempting to sow disunity within NLD ranks.
The call for dialogue with the regime is not new. In an interview last week Miss Suu Kyi herself predicted an eventual return to the negotiating table. The sticking-point has been her personal participation - something the regime adamantly opposes. In the long months of stalemate, other criticism of her stand has been heard, not least from foreign investors and some Western diplomats.
But although this outburst is likely to be seized on by the military, there is little suggestion that her standing at the head of the party is under serious challenge.
Wednesday, May 12, 1999 Published at 19:06 GMT 20:06 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi's message of defiance
Aung San Suu Kyi says life in Burma is like a battlefield
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has issued a defiant anti-government message in a video-taped interview smuggled out of her country.
Ms Suu Kyi's latest attack on the military junta that rules her country accuses them of repeatedly violating human rights.
The tape is due to be played at a peace conference being held this week in the Netherlands.
In it, she describes the suppression that still grips her country, almost 11 years after a brutal military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in which thousands died.
Routine abuse
She says that because of almost routine human rights abuses, life in modern Burma, renamed Myanmar by the country's military rulers, was "like a battlefield where lives are lost and people crippled".
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"When we talk about peace, we can not avoid talking about basic human rights, especially in a country like Burma where people are troubled constantly by a lack of human rights and a lack of justice and a lack of peace," she said.
"In our country, there are many races living together, but we have not been able to live together in peace because the situation doesn't exist where we can trust each other."
Locked in stalemate
Ms Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, has been locked in political stalemate with the Burmese Government since it won an overwhelming victory in national elections held in 1990.
The junta refused to recognise the result and held Ms Suu Kyi under house arrest for more than six years.
Since then, hundreds of NLD supporters and elected MPs have been detained by the authorities and Ms Suu Skyi's movements are constantly monitored by the authorities.
The video is first such statement released by Ms Suu Kyi since the death of her husband, Dr Michael Aris, last month.
Dr Aris, who had been suffering from cancer, was denied a visa to pay a final visit to his wife before his death.
Ms Suu Kyi decided against travelling to the UK to visit him saying she doubted government promises that she would be allowed to return.
Thursday, May 27, 1999 Published at 11:38 GMT 12:38 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Nobel winner marks Burma's annulled election
The Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has delivered a speech to a gathering of about five-hundred supporters to mark the ninth anniversary of Burma's election which was annulled by the military regime.
Her party, the National League for Democracy, won the 1990 election by a huge margin but the military has never let the parliament meet.
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Meanwhile a senior member of the military government, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, used the anniversary to say Burma is on the right political track.
He again said that the administration is laying the foundation for the establishment of a democratic system.
Saturday, June 19, 1999 Published at 10:26 GMT 11:26 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi appeal to Burmese women
The leader of Burma's biggest political party, Aung San Suu Kyi, has called on the women of Burma to work together and fight for democracy.
In a message marking Women's Day -- an unofficial holiday created by her supporters -- Aung San Suu Kyi said it was no longer possible for housewives to keep out of politics, because politics had invaded the traditional domain of housewives.
She said that the root cause of rising food and electricity prices and increased costs of education and health care was political.
Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly blamed the Burmese military government, which spends nearly half its budget on defence, for econnomic mismanagement and deepening poverty.
Monday, July 19, 1999 Published at 08:00 GMT 09:00 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese opposition leader makes rare appearance
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has made a rare public appearance in the capital, Rangoon, to commemorate the anniversary of the assasination of her father, the hero of the country's independence struggle, General Aung San.
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Miss Suu Kyi paid her respects in the Buddhist tradition at a mausoleum built in honour of Gen Aung San and most of his cabinet who were murdered in 1947.
Reports say the mausoleum was closed to the public during her visit.
Official newspapers controlled by the military regime have used the holiday known as Martyr's Day to criticise Miss Suu Kyi, describing her as a traitor.
Monday, July 19, 1999 Published at 11:45 GMT 12:45 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi makes rare public appearance
Aung San Suu Kyi: a "traitor" according to the state press
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made a rare public appearance in the capital, Rangoon, to commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of her father, the hero of the country's independence struggle.
In the only event of the year where Miss Suu Kyi is allowed to take part in official ceremonies, she arrived at the concrete Martyrs Mausoleum at the foot of Rangoon's gilded Shwedagon Pagoda in a black sedan.
The mausoleum was built in honour of Gen Aung San, who was murdered in 1947, along with most of his cabinet.
Miss Suu Kyi bowed in front of her father's tomb and set down three baskets of purple and white orchids.
Reports say the mausoleum was closed to the public during her visit.
She later arrived at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy, where she was welcomed by 400 supporters.
She made no speech, but Tin Oo, the party vice-chairman, read a nine-page statement urging the military government to engage in dialogue.
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'Traitor'
For the third consecutive year, official newspapers conspicuously abandoned a tradition of marking the holiday, known as Martyrs Day, with a special page on the life of Gen Aung San.
Instead, newspapers controlled by the military regime have used the holiday to criticise Miss Suu Kyi, describing her as a traitor.
The New Light of Myanmar, which regularly demonises Aung San Suu Kyi in its pages, called on her party, the National League for Democracy, to dump her, saying she had sold sold herself and the country to foreigners.
Monday, July 19, 1999 Published at 17:00 GMT 18:00 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese foreign minister in Bangladesh
The Burmese foreign minister, Win Aung, has said that a political settlement with the opposition National League for Democracy was possible if its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, softened her stance.
Mr Win said a middle ground will have to be found in ending the political dispute.
He was speaking in Dhaka at the end of a three-day visit to Bangladesh.
Mr Win also said his government was keen to pursue the repatriation of Burmese Rohingya refugees living in refugee camps in Bangladesh but didn't have a timetable for when the process would be completed.
Bangladesh has called for Burma to take back the refugees - who number more than twenty thousand - this year but Rangoon has only agreed to take back seven thousand.
Tuesday, August 24, 1999 Published at 09:53 GMT 10:53 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese democracy leader backs dissidents
The leader of the opposition National League for Democracy in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi, has refused to condemn dissidents who have called for an uprising next month.
In an interview with the French news agency AFP, she said that although her party had not been involved in the dissidents' campaign, it would never disown its allies who fought for democracy. The NLD won elections held in 1990 but the military junta refused to allow it to form a government. Aung San Suu Kyi also accused the military government of using the dissidents' campaign as a pretext for clamping down on security throughout the country.
The Burmese military authorities said last week that they had arrested more than thirty people in connection with the dissident movement. The movement is calling for an uprising on the ninth of September 1999, a date which they refer to as the day of the four nines.
Wednesday, September 8, 1999 Published at 10:35 GMT 11:35 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Burmese pro-democracy leader calls for sanctions
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has made another appeal for international action against the military government.
In a video-recorded statement smuggled out of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi describes the country as a huge prison and calls on the European Union, the United States and the rest of the world to help the cause of democracy by imposing economic sanctions.
Her statement comes just days before the ninth of September, the date on which pro-democracy campaigners outside Burma have called for an uprising against the authorities.
Thursday, October 7, 1999 Published at 11:30 GMT 12:30 UK
World: Asia-Pacific
Suu Kyi's message of support for Timor
Aung San Suu Kyi: "Great sense of empathy "
The Burmese opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has sent a message of support to the East Timorese people.
In a videotaped interview smuggled out of Burma, the pro-democracy campaigner compared the situation faced by her supporters in Burma to the crisis in East Timor.
" We feel a great sense of empathy for the people of East Timor," she said. "As fellow human beings, we don't like to see people so ill-treated and so unjustly crushed in their own land."
Ms Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), scored an overwhelming victory in elections held in Burma in 1990.
However, in a move she says has strong parallels with the recent violence in East Timor, Burma's military government refused to recognise the result and detained hundreds of opposition activists including Ms Suu Kyi herself.
Militia violence
August's massive vote in favour of independence in East Timor was followed by weeks of violence in which pro-Indonesian militias went on the rampage supported by Indonesian troops.
Those opponents of East Timorese independence, Ms Suu Kyi said, had "tried to overturn the result of the election in one fell swoop. [But] the world became aware of it and would not stand for it."
"I think they should understand that what happened in Burma is no different than what happened in East Timor," she said, "only it was implemented in the rather different way so that it's less noticeable."
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She went on to express her admiration for the former East Timorese rebel leader Xanana Gusmao, who was released from jail in Jakarta last month.
She said she felt Mr Gusmao was "a personal friend", although the two have never met, and thanked him for his words of support. She added that she hoped "the time will come when we can all work together to promote democracy and human rights in Asia and the rest of the world."
Mr Gusmao is widely expected to become the first president of an independent East Timor.
Ms Suu Kyi was officially freed after six years in house arrest in1995, but says she will not leave Burma as if she did so it is unlikely the Burmese government would allow her to return.
Her movements and those of her fellow NLD members remain heavily restricted.
Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has appealed for Asian nations, led by Japan, to press for democracy in Burma in the new millennium.
The Burmese opposition leader said her greatest hope for 2000 was for people to live at last "free from fear" after 37 years of military rule.
"People wake up in the morning wondering which of their friends have been taken into detention by the authorities,'' she said in a videotaped New Year message smuggled out of the country.
''They wake up in the morning wondering what the future of their children will be and worrying about it.
"I think for me ... the great hope for the millennium [is] that we must be free from want and fear, not just the people of Burma, but people all over the world."
Plea to Japan
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Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections, but the military refused to hand over power.
In her millennium message to be delivered at a New Year's eve rally in Hong Kong, she called for greater support from Asian nations.
And she urged Japan "to take a strong stand in the battle for democracy" in Burma.
"As the richest Asian country and as a democracy, Japan has a duty to try to promote human rights and democracy in other parts of Asia," Ms Suu Kyi said.
"We hope that 2000 will see a blossoming of Japanese interest."
Japan, once a major donor to Burma, recently offered much-needed aid to the military regime if it made political and economic reforms.
But the military has remained adamant it will not make political concessions in return for foreign assistance.
Sanctions
A series of high level meetings between the two countries has raised concerns among democracy activists that Tokyo may be breaking ranks from international efforts to pressure the generals towards democracy.
Burma is subject to US sanctions because of its human rights record, while the European Union bars visits by senior government officials.
Hundreds of members of Ms Suu Kyi's party have been imprisoned and thousands pressured to resign from the NLD since the 1990 election.
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, says the country's military government is sacrificing future generations of Burmese by denying them access to education.
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In a secretly taped message to the UN Human Rights Commission she said human rights abuses, including the closure of universities, were increasing despite international condemnation.
Aung San Suu Kyi has warned that Burma is being divided into two -- a privileged military elite and victims of injustice. Her party, the National League for Democracy, won elections in 1990 which the military has refused to recognise. Reports from the Thai capital, Bankgok, quoted a Burmese government official saying Ms Suu Kyi was making symbolic gestures to attract attention, and urging her party to act in a more constructive way.
Tuesday, 11 April, 2000, 12:16 GMT 13:16 UK UN Envoy to meet Suu Kyi
The United Nations special envoy to Burma says he's to meet the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during a planned visit to the country next month.
Razali Ismail, who has just been appointed to the post, said a concerted and coordinated effort was needed to end Burma's isolation.
He declined to comment on whether human rights would be discussed.
The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, on announcing Mr Razali's appointment, said he hoped it would lead to the implementation of a UN resolution which calls for Burma's military government to halt human rights violations.
Ten years ago, Burma's National League for Democracy (NLD) convincingly won the elections. But military rulers refused to recognise the results.
Little has changed since then.
Tight security is in place in Rangoon for the 10th anniversary. The opposition say several hundred opposition members have been detained throughout the country in the last few weeks.
This renewed crackdown on the opposition is in stark contrast to the situation a decade ago.
Then, on Saturday 27 May, the people of Burma voted to send the military back to the barracks when the military allowed a relatively free and fair election.
The military had seized power two years earlier after crushing the pro-democracy demonstrations.
The result shocked the Burmese generals. The NLD and its allies won more than 80% of the seats, despite the intimidation of pro-democracy candidates and Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest the year before.
The result was a clear reflection of the mood of the country. People wanted democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi to lead the country.
New constitution
The military refused to accept the result. It first claimed it was not an election for a parliament but an election for a national assembly to draft a new multi-party constitution.
It took the military government more than two years to begin drawing up the new constitution. But when the National Convention was formed, the parliamentarians were swamped by military-appointed delegates.
As each chapter of the constitution was slowly prepared it was clear the military authorities were carefully controlling the process.
The NLD refused to be part of this and withdrew from the National Convention three years ago. The constitution is yet to be completed.
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But what is clear is that the military wants its role to be written into that constitution.
A quarter of the seats in the new parliament are to be reserved for the military, and the president must have had military experience, and therefore be a former general.
Siege mentality
Over the past decade, the military has carefully built a state within a state.
The only schools and colleges which are effectively operating are run by the military for their own children. The families of the military have exclusive access to the best medical care.
The soldiers and their dependents have become an exclusive group within the country.
Western military analysts believe the Burmese military leaders have developed a siege mentality. They don't trust any civilians - even those in government - and believes only soldiers can run the country.
Indonesian model
The military has long seen Indonesia as a model. The Indonesian constitution gave the military a permanent political role.
However, the events there over the last two years have made the Burmese military nervous.
It drew two lessons from President Suharto's fall: It believes Mr Suharto didn't suppress the students early enough and that he finally fell because the country ran out of rice.
There is no doubt that the Burmese military fear student protest - it has effectively kept the country's schools and colleges closed for more than 10 years.
Burma's military leaders are aware that the economy could be their undoing.
The government has selected some 50 national entrepreneurs to help regenerate the economy and ensure sufficient rice production.
Most analysts remain sceptical that the Burmese generals will be able to ensure economic growth and reduce the widespread malnutrition in the country.
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At the same time the Burmese military is slowly building its own civilian structures throughout the country.
It has a compliant grassroots organisation, the United Solidarity Development Association, which it claims has 11 million members.
These work closely with the military throughout the country. But the men in uniforms run the country.
The military may claim that it is the only institution which can ensure safety and security, but, as the people of Burma showed 10 years ago, they want democracy and they want Aung San Suu Kyi to lead the country. Nothing has changed that.
About 300 supporters heard Suu Kyi's addressBurmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked the 10th anniversary of nullified elections won by her National League for Democracy (NLD) party by demanding that the military hand over power.
Ms Suu Kyi said the NLD rejected any proposal for a fresh ballot, saying the government must respect the results of the last multi-party elections.
Burmese riot police earlier surrounded the NLD headquarters in Rangoon.
Witnesses said the military authorities had erected barricades around the building, and were barring non-members from attending the anniversary ceremony.
But about 300 people managed to cross the security cordon to hear Ms Suu Kyi promise the fight for democracy would continue despite government attmepts to intimidate them intoo silence.
In the days leading up to the anniversary, the military regime heightened its crackdown on dissent, warning the media and Buddhist clergy not to mark the anniversary.
The opposition says several hundred opposition members have been detained throughout the country in the past few weeks.
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Capital quiet
Rangoon was reported to be quiet, with people going about their normal business.
There was no sign of a march on the capital by a monks organisation which had been predicted by dissident activists in neighbouring Thailand.
Officials told the French news agency AFP that about 100 protesting monks had arrived individually from Mandalay, the country's second city.
The government says there is no significant support for either the NLD or the monks.
Opposition victory
On 27 May 1990, the people of Burma - also known as Myanmar - overwhelmingly rejected decades of isolationist military rule.
The NLD and its allies won more than 80% of the seats, despite the intimidation of pro-democracy candidates and Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest the year before.
Stunned by the defeat of its own front party, the military annulled the NLD's election victory, claiming it had been rigged by foreigners and communists.
The military has been in control of the country, in various guises, since 1962.
The Burmese military shows little sign of relinquishing powerBy regional analyst Larry Jagan
The United Nations' special envoy for Burma, Razali Ismail, has arrived in Rangoon for talks aimed at encouraging dialogue between the military government and the opposition National League for Democracy.
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It will be his first official visit since the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed him earlier this year after the resignation of his predecessor, Alvaro de Soto.
During the three-day visit Mr Razali will also be assessing the human rights situation in a country frequently the target of strong western criticism on the issue.
The UN has been involved in trying to break the deadlock between Burma's military leaders and the pro-democracy opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi for more than 10 years.
But successive envoys to Burma, including a human rights rapporteur, have made little progress in getting the two sides to talk to each other.
The international community is now hoping that Mr Razali, a senior Malaysian diplomat and close confidant of Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, may be able to produce some concrete changes.
Unlike his predecessor, Alvaro De Soto, the new envoy has been mandated to work solely on Burma.
Asian diplomat
Following his appointment in April, Burma's Foreign Minister, U Win Aung, remarked cautiously that as an Asian, Mr Razali ought to understand more about the region than did his predecessor.
Many Asian diplomats have also welcomed his appointment, hoping that Dr Mahathir's support may help Burma's Generals recognise the need for democratic change in the country.
According to diplomatic sources in Rangoon, Mr Razali's visit is being seen as a fact-finding and exposure trip.
He is expected to meet Burma's head of State, General Than Shwe and the military intelligence chief Lt General Khin Nyunt as well as Aung San Suu Kyi.
Malaysian sources close to Mr Razali said he wanted his visit to be a low-key affair and wasn't going to make his itinerary public.
Developing trust
They said Mr Razali hoped to make frequent visits to Rangoon in future and try to develop trust on both sides through regular contact.
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The Association of South-East Asian Nations is also anxious to see Burma be more conciliatory towards the opposition leader.
It is keen to convince the generals that economic development and democracy go hand in hand.
However, Burma's military rulers have steadfastly refused to hand over power to a civilian government, even though the National League for Democracy convincingly won the national elections 10 years ago.
So far Burma's Generals have ignored Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD's frequent appeals for the military to enter a meaningful dialogue on the country's political future.
Western and Asian diplomats alike are hoping that the Malaysian envoy may have more success than his predecessors have had.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wednesday, 19 July, 2000, 14:22 GMT 15:22 UK
Burma remembers founding father
The cermony was held at the foot of the Shwedagon PagodaBurmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has attended a ceremony to mark the 1947 assassination of her father, the country's leading independence hero.
A solemn-looking Ms Suu Kyi was escorted by a military guard to the Martyrs' Mausoleum, at the foot of Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda.
Wearing a black shawl around her shoulders, she placed flowers at her father's tomb and then knelt to pay respects.
Her father General Aung San and most of his cabinet were gunned down just six months before Burma was declared a sovereign nation in 1948.
The assassination is remembered each year on Martyrs' Day.
It is the only event where Ms Suu Kyi is allowed to take part in official ceremonies.
General Aung San was the founder of Burma's army and is respected as a national hero by the ruling military regime for his leading role in the struggle for independence from Britain.
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But Ms Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), is considered a traitor by the military.
House arrest
The NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the military regime refused to hand over power.
Despite her release from house arrest in 1995, Ms Suu Kyi's movements and political activities are still heavily restricted.
Reports said Ms Suu Kyi arrived at the ceremony in a black sedan accompanied by Colonel Than Tun, her military liaison officer during her six years of house arrest.
Her brother Aung San Oo, who lives in the United States, also attended the ceremony.
Culture Minister Win Sein led the government representatives.
But reports said none of the top generals of the ruling State Peace and Development Council attended.
Ms Suu Kyi was also due to hold a private religious ceremony at the NLD headquarters on Wednesday.
The Burmese pro-democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi says a leading opposition figure has been jailed for twenty-one years.
It says Aye Tha Aung who's secretary of the Committee Representing the People's Parliament was arrested in April and jailed in June, but the news has only now emerged.
There's been no comment from Burma's military leaders.
To her supporters she is known simply as The LadyBy BBC News Online's Joe Havely
As a symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression, Aung San Suu Kyi has come to be regarded in Burma and around the world as the Nelson Mandela of south-east Asia.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia in 1991, she had by then been held under house arrest by Burma's military authorities for two years.
It would be another four years before she was finally allowed to leave her home, although she remains restricted to the capital, Rangoon, and her movements are closely monitored.
Now aged 55, Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of the assassinated Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San.
His resistance to British colonial rule culminated in Burma's independence in 1948 and her relationship to him gives her a unique position in Burmese society as the daughter of a national hero.
Political destiny
After receiving her initial education in Burma and India, Aung San Suu Kyi travelled to the UK where she studied at Oxford University.
It was there that she met and married her husband, Michael Aris, an Oxford University academic.
At the time Dr Aris knew his wife's destiny might ultimately lie with her returning to Burma.
"Before we were married I promised my wife that I would never stand between her and her country," he recalled.
It was not until 1988 however that Aung San Suu Kyi first came to prominence in Burma when she returned to the country leaving her husband and their two sons in Britain.
Democracy movement
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There she quickly became the leader of a burgeoning pro-democracy movement following the brutal repression of a pro-democratic uprising earlier that summer.
It was a mission she labelled "Burma's second struggle for independence".
The movement quickly grew into a political party that went on to win an overwhelming 82% of the vote in national elections in 1990 - despite the fact that by that time she had already been under house arrest for more than a year.
The military regime, however, refused to relinquish power and stepped up repression of her party, the National League for Democracy.
Natural leader
Martin Smith, a writer on Burmese affairs, says there are several reasons why Aung San Suu Kyi proved such a natural leader.
"Her father was the founder of the democratic movement. So Suu Kyi in a way had inherited that kind of tradition.
"But the second thing is of course down to Aung San Suu Kyi herself, her role in the democracy movement and her speeches about the need for change in Burmese society."
Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, and India's Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi organised rallies after her return to Burma, and travelled the country, calling for peaceful democratic reforms and free elections.
Popular support
She has tirelessly campaigned for change through dialogue and negotiation.
Her tolerance, patience and confidence - born from the knowledge that she has immense popular support - have contrasted sharply with the paranoia and bullying tactics of generals who hold power.
Much of her time is spent in military imposed isolation inside her run-down villa on Rangoon's University Avenue - guards outside keep all but a select few visitors well away.
To her millions of supporters across Burma she is known simply as "The Lady".
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Movement restricted
Despite Aun San Suu Kyi's official release from house arrest, there are still de facto restrictions on her freedom to move and speak, and oppression of pro-democracy activism continues.
In July 1998 she spent five days in a stand-off with military officials outside Rangoon before being forcibly returned to the capital.
A month later she tried again and spent 13 days stationary on a road west of the capital before medical concerns finally forced her to return to the city.
But her commitment to her cause was perhaps most starkly and tragically illustrated a year later when her husband, still living in the UK, became terminally ill with prostate cancer.
Believing that she would be blocked from returning to Burma, she declined the generals' offer of a visa to visit him in England for a final reunion.
Denied the chance for a final farewell visit Michael Aris died in March 1999 - the couple had not seen each other for three years.
To her supporters she is known simply as The LadyBy BBC News Online's Joe Havely
As a symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression, Aung San Suu Kyi has come to be regarded in Burma and around the world as the Nelson Mandela of south-east Asia.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia in 1991, she had by then been held under house arrest by Burma's military authorities for two years.
It would be another four years before she was finally allowed to leave her home, although she remains restricted to the capital, Rangoon, and her movements are closely monitored.
Now aged 55, Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of the assassinated Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San.
119
His resistance to British colonial rule culminated in Burma's independence in 1948 and her relationship to him gives her a unique position in Burmese society as the daughter of a national hero.
Political destiny
After receiving her initial education in Burma and India, Aung San Suu Kyi travelled to the UK where she studied at Oxford University.
It was there that she met and married her husband, Michael Aris, an Oxford University academic.
At the time Dr Aris knew his wife's destiny might ultimately lie with her returning to Burma.
"Before we were married I promised my wife that I would never stand between her and her country," he recalled.
It was not until 1988 however that Aung San Suu Kyi first came to prominence in Burma when she returned to the country leaving her husband and their two sons in Britain.
Democracy movement
There she quickly became the leader of a burgeoning pro-democracy movement following the brutal repression of a pro-democratic uprising earlier that summer.
It was a mission she labelled "Burma's second struggle for independence".
The movement quickly grew into a political party that went on to win an overwhelming 82% of the vote in national elections in 1990 - despite the fact that by that time she had already been under house arrest for more than a year.
The military regime, however, refused to relinquish power and stepped up repression of her party, the National League for Democracy.
Natural leader
Martin Smith, a writer on Burmese affairs, says there are several reasons why Aung San Suu Kyi proved such a natural leader.
"Her father was the founder of the democratic movement. So Suu Kyi in a way had inherited that kind of tradition.
120
"But the second thing is of course down to Aung San Suu Kyi herself, her role in the democracy movement and her speeches about the need for change in Burmese society."
Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, and India's Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi organised rallies after her return to Burma, and travelled the country, calling for peaceful democratic reforms and free elections.
Popular support
She has tirelessly campaigned for change through dialogue and negotiation.
Her tolerance, patience and confidence - born from the knowledge that she has immense popular support - have contrasted sharply with the paranoia and bullying tactics of generals who hold power.
Much of her time is spent in military imposed isolation inside her run-down villa on Rangoon's University Avenue - guards outside keep all but a select few visitors well away.
To her millions of supporters across Burma she is known simply as "The Lady".
Movement restricted
Despite Aun San Suu Kyi's official release from house arrest, there are still de facto restrictions on her freedom to move and speak, and oppression of pro-democracy activism continues.
In July 1998 she spent five days in a stand-off with military officials outside Rangoon before being forcibly returned to the capital.
A month later she tried again and spent 13 days stationary on a road west of the capital before medical concerns finally forced her to return to the city.
But her commitment to her cause was perhaps most starkly and tragically illustrated a year later when her husband, still living in the UK, became terminally ill with prostate cancer.
Believing that she would be blocked from returning to Burma, she declined the generals' offer of a visa to visit him in England for a final reunion.
Denied the chance for a final farewell visit Michael Aris died in March 1999 - the couple had not seen each other for three years.
Aung San Suu Kyi was trying to meet supportersThe United States and Europe have reacted angrily to the the detention of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, by police in the capital Rangoon.
The US state department said it "deplored" Ms Suu Kyi's detention, saying freedom of movement is a "fundamental, internationally recognised right".
The European Union called for travel restrictions on Ms Suu Kyi to be lifted, and urged the Burmese Government to begin talks with opposition parties.
Ms Suu Kyi was stopped by police on Thursday while attempting to travel outside the city for the first time in two years.
Standoff
According to reports, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and other members of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), left Rangoon on Thursday morning to travel to meet supporters.
But the group were halted by police at Dala on the outskirts of the city, and have not yet returned home.
Ms Suu Kyi is preparing to spend a third night in her car, locked in a tense standoff with officials.
Plainclothes security officials have apparently warned reporters away from the area.
Two years ago, Ms Suu Kyi spent 13 days in her car after being prevented from leaving Rangoon.
She eventually gave up her protest suffering from dehydration.
Security
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According to the Burmese Government, Ms Suu Kyi and the other NLD members have been stopped this time for not having "proper security arrangements".
"Security officials requested them not to proceed but stay in Dala town or return to Yangon [Rangoon]," said a government statement.
Authorities referred to "threats of violence by armed insurgent separatist forces", and said Ms Suu Kyi had been stopped for her own protection.
Reports said Ms Suu Kyi and her party had been planning to travel to Kungyangon, 50km (31 miles) south of Rangoon for a meeting of the NLD's youth wing.
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power, jailing some party members and placing others under house arrest.
The daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, Ms Suu Kyi was prevented from leaving her home for six years.
Although this was lifted in 1995, since then the military has constantly restricted her movements.
Aung San Sui Kyi has been camped out for four nights
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is continuing to defy a request to return to her home, as her confrontation with the military authorities in the capital Rangoon enters its fifth day.
Ms Suu Kyi and more than a dozen members of the National League for Democracy (NDL) have been camping in cars outside the capital after being stopped by police as they went to meet supporters.
A spokesman for the NDL said the aim of the stand-off was to let everyone know that the opposition had the basic democratic right to travel freely in its own country.
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The United States, Britain, the European Union and Amnesty International have all protested about Ms Suu Kyi's treatment and expressed concern about her well-being.
Supplies
The 55-year-old Nobel laureate has been confined by the authorities to the capital, and it is the first time she has tried to leave in two years.
The government says it is preventing her from travelling for her own safety, because of what it calls threats of violence by "armed separatist terrorist groups".
It also insists that Ms Suu Kyi is being provided with ample food and water, contrary to earlier reports from some NDL members that they were running low on supplies.
The US and the European Union are demanding that the opposition leader be allowed to travel freely in her own country.
Plainclothes security officials have apparently warned reporters away from the area.
Two years ago, Ms Suu Kyi spent 13 days in her car after being prevented from leaving Rangoon.
She eventually gave up her protest suffering from dehydration.
According to the Burmese Government, Ms Suu Kyi and the other NLD members have been stopped this time for not having "proper security arrangements".
"Security officials requested them not to proceed but stay in Dala town or return to Rangoon," said a government statement.
Reports said Ms Suu Kyi and her party had been planning to travel to Kungyangon, 50km (30 miles) south of Rangoon for a meeting of the NLD's youth wing.
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power, jailing some party members and placing others under house arrest.
The daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, Ms Suu Kyi was prevented from leaving her home for six years.
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Although this was lifted in 1995, since then the military has constantly restricted her movements.
The Burmese military government is facing growing international criticism over the stand-off with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been stranded with supporters for six days on a road outside the capital.
The European Union and United Nations, among others, expressed concern for Ms Suu Kyi and condemned the military for blocking the path of the opposition leader's car.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for a quick and peaceful resolution to the matter.
Saying he was "monitoring the situation closely", Mr Annan also called for a national reconciliation, urging both sides to engage in political dialogue.
Ms Suu Kyi and a dozen officials from her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were on their way to a meeting with supporters last Thursday when they were stopped by police.
As a protest against the restriction on their freedom of movement, they have remained in the muddy, mosquito-infested area in the two vehicles they were travelling in.
This is the first time Miss Suu Kyi - who was previously under house arrest for six years - has tried to leave Rangoon since a similar confrontation in 1998, which ended after 13 days when she fell ill and had to return home.
Umbrellas and bathroom
The military regime rejected criticism, saying it had provided the group with food, water and other amenities.
A government website, the Burmese National Homepage, said authorities had given Ms Suu Kyi beach umbrellas and a mobile bathroom to ensure "her maximum comfort".
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The NLD said the government shouild be held responsible for any deterioration in Ms Suu Kyi's help.
In an angry attack on Tuesday, the regime accused Ms Suu Kyi of damaging the nation's economy by urging foreign governments to impose sanctions and trade boycotts.
It said people resented her actions, and that the authorities now had to take this action to protect her from attacks by citizens.
"The people realise that they are being used as sacrificial lambs by the NLD," it said.
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power.
International concern
The United States,Thailand, Canada and Nordic countries were among those voicing concern over the stand-off.
Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan warned it could tarnish the image of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which controversially admitted Myanmar in 1997.
"Again, we deplore the attempts to restrict the movements of Aung San Suu Kyi," US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said.
Mr Reeker said the United States had been in touch with the Red Cross to facilitate the delivery of food, water and medicines to the 55-year-old Nobel peace laureate.
A roadside confrontation between the pro-democracy leader in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's military authorities has entered a second week.
Miss Suu Kyi and a small group of supporters were halted at roadblock in the countryside not far from the capital, Rangoon last Thursday.
The authorities said she was prevented from going on because separatist guerrilla activity made travel in the area unsafe.
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But Miss Suu Kyi has refused to turn back and opted to camp at the point where she was stopped.
The stalemate has attracted international attention, with the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan saying he's increasingly concerned about Miss Suu Kyi's welfare.
The authorities in Burma have described a roadside protest by the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as a deliberate confrontation designed to attract world attention.
The Burmese opposition leader and a group of supporters have been camped around two cars since they were stopped while on their way to an opposition party meeting near the capital Rangoon and ordered to return.
The United States and the European Union have urged that the restrictions imposed on Aung San Suu Kyi be lifted, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, says he is increasingly concerned about her welfare.
Thailand has expressed concern that the protest will overshadow a summit between the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) and the European Union in Laos in December.
Web pictures
In a move that appears to be designed to deflect international criticism, the Burmese military authorities have put photographs of the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader and her supporters on its website.
What appear as holiday snaps are accompanied by text explaining that Aung San Suu Kyi is simply taking an "rest".
"While Daw Suu Kyi visits some homes in Sarpachaun Ward, her travel companions and attendants enjoy visiting downtown Dala as well as taking daily dips in Sarpachaun stream," the government daily newsletter says.
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It lists the necessities it has supplied - including beach umbrellas, and a new mobile bathroom - "to ensure her maximum comfort and well-being", and says an ambulance is on stand-by.
The location is the village of Dala, outside Rangoon, where police - who do not appear on any of the web pictures - have prevented the group for taking a ferry across a nearby river.
Answering critics
One diplomat says the group is camping in what he describes as a mosquito-infested swamp.
On Thursday, an NLD spokesman said the opposition leader had resolved to continue her confrontation with government.
"It is hereby declared again that General-Secretary Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will not turn back until and unless she has fully completed her intended organisational tasks," the NLD said in a statement.
The government, for its part, has criticised international critics and insisted it was committed to democracy.
"It is unfortunate that the government in every positive move or step in the right direction has been challenged, ridiculed and impeded, creating unnecessary obstacles in [the] orderly transition to a multi-party democracy," it said.
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power, jailing some party members and placing others under house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, was prevented from leaving her home for six years.
Although this was lifted in 1995, the military has constantly restricted her movements.
Senior American politicians have denounced the military government of Burma over its treatment of the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Miss Suu Kyi is now in the second week of a roadside protest which began when she, and a group of supporters, were prevented from attending a political meeting .
Vice President Al Gore called the restriction an offence to free people everywhere.
The Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, said she was appalled that the Burmese government had denied Miss Suu Kyi the freedom to travel within her own country.
She said Aung San Suu Kyi¿s voice would not be silenced.
The authorities have described the roadside protest as a deliberate confrontation designed to attract world attention. Thailand has expressed concern that the protest will overshadow a forthcoming summit between South east Asian nations and the European Union..
The ruling military authorities in Burma have raided the headquarters of the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi - just hours after forcing her to return to her home in the capital, Rangoon.
Diplomatic sources say military intelligence officers seized a large number of documents belonging to her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).
UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook responded to the developments by calling on the Burmese authorities to lift all the restrictions imposed on the NLD and voicing "deep concern" about the crackdown.
Diplomats in Rangoon told the French news agency AFP that at least three senior NLD members had been placed under house arrest.
Isolation
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The security forces have prevented diplomats from reaching Ms Suu Kyi's house. The Nobel Peace laureate has not been seen in public since the end of her nine-day stand-off with the military on the outskirts of the capital.
Mr Cook said the UK and its EU and other international partners were considering what measures to take "in response, once the facts have been clarified".
"I call on the Burmese regime to allow immediate access to Aung San Suu Kyi and her NLD colleagues, and to lift all restrictions forthwith," he said.
"Initial indications are that the Burmese regime has once again grossly infringed the rights of a legal political party to operate freely."
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power, jailing some party members and placing others under house arrest.
Conflicting stories
NLD officials said riot police ended the confrontation late on Friday by forcing Ms Suu Kyi and her colleagues into separate cars.
The military authorities said she had been escorted back to the capital because of concerns about her health and safety and because of monsoon rains.
A government statement said Ms Suu Kyi and the rest of her party had been escorted in a motorcade "facilitated by the government for their safe and convenient return".
"They arrived home fit and sound this morning [on Saturday]," the statement said.
Ms Suu Kyi had been locked inside her car for nine days after security services prevented her and 14 members of her party from travelling to a political meeting in the countryside.
The stand-off prompted widespread international condemnation of the restrictions placed by the military authorities on Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of movement.
The European Union, United Nations and United States were among those to expressed concern.
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Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, was held under house arrest for six years after the NLD's election victory.
Although this was lifted in 1995, the military government has maintained restrictions on her movements.
The authorities described her protest as a deliberate confrontation designed to attract world attention.
A government website said Ms Suu Kyi belonged to Western powers "morally and literally".
Frustration and embarrassment appear to be the overriding emotions that led the ruling military authorities in Burma to force an end to the roadside protest by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her companions.
From the moment the stand-off on a dirt track outside Rangoon began, the regime sought to belittle the actions of the leader of the National League for Democracy through its propaganda.
It pointed to the undisputed fact that there was no visible evidence of public support for Ms Suu Kyi, whose party won elections in May 1990 but was prevented from taking office.
But what the military could not stop was the growing volume of international censure of the restrictions it was placing on Ms Suu Kyi's freedom of movement.
Government pressure
As the days passed, it became clear that Ms Suu Kyi - an increasingly marginalised figure in recent months - was successfully using the same form of protest she employed two years ago to boost her profile abroad and to highlight her long battle to bring Burma to democracy.
Not for the first time, the regime's patience snapped.
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It remains unclear how far the government plans to go in punishing the NLD.
Reports of the seizure of documents from the party's Rangoon headquarters could presage an attempt to substantiate the regime's accusation that the NLD is a stooge of western governments.
Hardliners within the military would dearly love to crush the opposition once and for all; indeed that process has been underway for some time at a local level, where lower-level members of the NLD have been put under enormous pressure to resign their membership.
The UK Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, has condemned as "a scandal" the treatment of Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Nobel Peace prize winner, and 14 of her supporters from the National League of Democracy (NLD), were seized on a dirt road outside Burma's capital of Rangoon. She was bundled into a car.
They had been staging a nine-day protest after security services prevented her and members of her party from travelling to a political meeting in the countryside.
The military authorities said she had been escorted back to the capital because of concerns about her health and safety and because of monsoon rains.
Since her forced return to the capital her party headquarters have been raided and occupied by military officers who have seized numerous documents.
Speaking at a meeting with other EU foreign ministers in Evian, Switzerland, Mr Cook said the use of force by the Burmese government against the pro-democracy leader was a "scandal".
"Our ambassador has been trying to get access to her. He has been denied.
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"We need to know she is safe and well. What has happened here is a scandal.
"Aung San Suu Kyi received the vote by an overwhelming majority of the people of Burma 10 years ago.
"She is now being prevented from communicating with her supporters. It is a clear sign of the weakness of the regime that they are so afraid to let her travel."
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, was held under house arrest for six years after the NLD's election victory in 1990.
Although this was lifted in 1995, the military government has maintained restrictions on her movements ever since.
Sunday, 3 September, 2000, 09:46 GMT 10:46 UK Burma blocks access to Suu Kyi
The Burmese military authorities are continuing to block access to the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
They have also maintained a cordon around the headquarters of her National League for Democracy, despite international condemnation of her treatment.
Miss Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since soldiers forced her and a group of supporters to return to the capital, Rangoon early on Saturday, after a nine-day roadside standoff.
The confrontation had started when Miss Suu Kyi, making her first attempt to travel outside Rangoon for two years, was stopped in her car on the outskirts of the capital.
Burmese military officials have denied that other NLD leaders are under house arrest, but they say they have been asked to stay in their homes and their movements are being temporarily restricted.
International condemnation
Earlier, the United States joined the European Union in condemning the military authorities' action against Miss Suu Kyi.
American Secretary of Sate, Madeleine Albright, said she was outraged by the Burmese authorities' use of force.
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"The United States is outraged and strongly condemns the Burmese authorities' treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi and her party members and the violations of their fundamental human rights," Ms Albright said in a statement.
European foreign ministers meeting in Evian, France, also condemned the military government.
UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said the Burmese regime had once again grossly infringed the rights of a legal political party to operate freely.
He called on the Burmese authorities to lift all the restrictions imposed on the National League for Democray .
Police guard
The Burmese government says it acted for the opposition leader's own safety, by escorting her home in the early hours of Saturday.
It described her roadside protest as a deliberate confrontation designed to attract world attention.
Hours later, the military raided the NLD headquarters and seized a large number of documents.
The BBC's Gina Wilkinson in Rangoon says that four senior members of the NLD have been placed under house arrest.
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power, jailing some party members and placing others under house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, was held under house arrest for six years after the NLD's election victory.
Although this was lifted in 1995, the military government has maintained restrictions on her movements.
Reports from Burma say the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is in good health despite international concerns following her latest confrontation with the military authorities.
Miss Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since last week when police forcibly ended a roadside protest she staged after being refused permission to visit other opposition activists outside the capital, Rangoon.
The government has denied that she or any of her party colleagues are under house arrest, but says they have been asked to stay at home while investigations are carried out into their alleged contacts with foreigners and with a group of ethnic Karen rebels, known as God's Army. Earlier, the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, added his voice to the international protests over Miss Suu Kyi's treatment.
The United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, has added his voice to the wave of international protests against the Burmese military authorities' treatment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
She has not been seen in public since Friday, when the police forcibly ended a nine-day standoff that developed from her efforts to visit party activists outside the capital, Rangoon.
Mr Annan expressed his "deep concern" at the military administration's actions against the Burmese opposition leader and members of her National League for Democracy (NLD).
"Reports concerning further infringement of the freedom of movement and the freedom of political expression are particularly disturbing," he said in a statement.
Stand-off
Aung San Suu Kyi and fellow party workers were stopped by security forces on 24 August shortly after leaving the capital.
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Refusing government requests to turn back, she and 14 other members of the NLD set up a makeshift camp in Dala, a suburb of Rangoon.
The stand-off ended on Friday night when riot police moved in to return the group to the capital.
Since then, the military authorities have blocked access to her and other opposition leaders.
They deny reports that any of the group has been placed under house arrest - saying only that they have been requested to at home while investigations are carried out into their alleged contacts with foreigners and a group of ethnic Karen rebels, known as God's Army.
However, the British ambassador in Burma said he was not allowed to meet Aung San Suu Kyi and was manhandled by the security forces when he tried to contact her and other senior NLD members.
"I was jostled and I was grabbed a couple of times outside the NLD office," Ambassador John Jenkins told the BBC.
He said there were growing concerns that the government may be moving to ban the NLD entirely.
International criticism
The situation in Burma has attracted criticism from the United States, the European Union and Australia.
"(We are) appalled by the standards of human right in Burma and we certainly deplore the way in which Aung San Suu Kyi has been treated, " Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Reuters news agency.
The NLD won elections in May 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to recognise the result, jailing some party members and placing others under house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the late Burmese nationalist leader, General Aung San, was held under house arrest for six years after the NLD's election victory.
Although this was lifted in 1995, the military government has maintained restrictions on her movements.
Tuesday, 5 September, 2000, 10:48 GMT 11:48 UK Concern grows for Suu Kyi
A Burmese exile voices his protest in BangkokInternational concern is growing over the welfare of the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has not been seen in public for several days.
It comes amid allegations from the country's military leaders that members of her National League for Democracy party have been involved in "terrorist activity".
Aung San Suu Kyi and 13 NLD members have not been seen in public since Saturday when police forcibly ended a roadside stand-off over the authorities' refusal to allow them to visit party members outside the capital, Rangoon.
The human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has called on Burma to allow access to the opposition leader and her colleagues saying it is "gravely concerned" for their welfare.
The government says Aung San Suu Kyi is at her house on Rangoon's University Avenue, but diplomats and journalists have been refused access to her.
Armed guards are reported to be surrounding the property and telephone lines to the house have also been cut.
Police raid
The NLD's party headquarters have also been closed following a police raid on Saturday shortly before Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues were brought back to the capital.
The government says it is investigating links between the NLD and an armed rebel group, God's Army, based on the Burmese border.
It has denied reports that members of the group are being held under house arrest, saying instead they have been asked to stay at home whilst the investigation proceeds.
Human rights groups say allegations of the NLD having links with terrorist group are routinely used to justify the mass arrests of party supporters.
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Amnesty says there is no evidence that the NLD, which has always espoused non-violence, has connections with any armed groups.
Its comments were supported by the US Charge d'Affaires in Rangoon, Priscilla Clapp, who said any such claims were a "malicious fabrication".
Clampdown warning
Observers in the Burmese capital say there is mounting evidence that the military authorities are preparing to clampdown on the NLD's activities.
On Tuesday, in a sign of the authorities' increasing frustration, Burmese newspapers quoted the country's powerful intelligence chief, Brigadier General Khin Nyunt, accusing western governments of meddling in Burma's internal affairs.
"Two big western countries are applying various means to interfere in and dominate the internal affairs of Myanmar [Burma] and destroy her relations with the international community," he was quoted as saying.
"They are trying to drag the Myanmar [Burmese] people into poverty and hardships and to cause unrest in the nation."
Correspondents say criticism of Burma is likely to increase at this week's United Nation's Millennium Summit in New York which the Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung is expected to attend.
The military authorities in Burma say the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is safe and well in her house in the capital, Rangoon.
Miss Suu Kyi has not been seen in public, and foreign diplomats have been barred from contacting her, since she was forcibly returned to the city on Saturday.
She'd staged a nine-day roadside protest after police stopped her group from travelling to a party meeting. A spokesman for the military government says a doctor and twelve members of the National League for Democracy are with her.
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The authorities say family members have been visiting her compound and the residences of other NLD officials. The authorities say she hasn't been arrested, but has been asked to stay at home while alleged links with rebels are investigated.
Burma's military government has attacked what it says is a "synchronised negative media campaign" designed to paint a damaging picture of the country and its treatment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
In a statement on its website, the government condemned "a flurry of groundless accusations" which it said had been has been "tailored to coincide with ... the UN Millennium Summit".
The comments come a day after US President Bill Clinton and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair both used their speeches at the summit to condemn the latest crackdown on the Burmese opposition.
'Safe and well'
Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) have not been seen since Saturday when police forced them to return to the capital, Rangoon.
The move brought an end to a nine-day roadside stand-off, brought about by the opposition leader's efforts to visit party officials outside the city.
The Burmese authorities insist Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues are safe and well inside their homes in the capital, but they have denied Western diplomats and journalists access to her.
The gates to Aung San Suu Kyi's house on Rangoon's University Avenue are reportedly padlocked with armed security personnel outside.
Government statements earlier in the week said the NLD leader and her colleagues were under investigation for alleged "terrorist" connections.
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However, it has denied that any opposition figure has been formally arrested.
'Neo-colonialist stooge'
On Thursday the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper added to the war of words with Burma's critics saying the NLD leader was neo-colonialist stooge being kept under supervision for her own safety.
"[Burma's] leaders, wise in the ways of evil-minded people, clearly foresee perils under which [Aung San] Suu Kyi is flitting about unwarily," the newspaper said in its commentary.
"All these protesters, presidential candidates, heads of state, the secretary-general of the UN, blithely jumped on the trumpet-blowing bandwagon of calumniating Myanmar [Burma], not because they see, they hear, they know for themselves [Burma's] affairs, but for their own selfish purposes and aims," it said.
The Burmese democracy-leader, Aung San Suu, has begun receiving visitors after the military authorities lifted restrictions which have kept her under virtual house arrest for almost two weeks.
The restrictions had also applied to other senior members of the National League for Democracy.
Their telephone links have been restored and the party vice-chairman , Tin Oo, is reported to have visited Miss Suu Kyi's house.
Foreign diplomats have also been arriving at her residence, in the capital Rangoon.
The authorities have resisted international protests about the treatment of the party's senior members.
The pressure escalated after Miss Suu Kyi and her companions were forcibly returned to the city, ending a nine-day roadside protest against travel restrictions imposed on them.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
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Thursday, 14 September, 2000, 12:29 GMT 13:29 UK
Burma lifts Suu Kyi house arrest
The Burmese military authorities have lifted restrictions limiting the movements of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and senior members of her National League for Democracy.
The opposition leader has been under virtual house arrest for almost two weeks, after the authorities forcibly ended a roadside protest against restrictions on her travel outside the city.
Diplomats based in Rangoon and some senior members of the party have been allowed to visit Aung San Suu Kyi at her home and say she is in good spirits.
The block on her movements - which sparked international protests - was lifted following what the military authorities described as "a fruitful meeting" with NLD chairman, U Aung Shwe.
However, opposition members say there was little if any discussion at the meeting.
They say the NLD chairman was simply summoned to a government guest house and informed by the powerful Secretary-number-one, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, that restrictions on party officials were being lifted.
Telephone lines to Aung San Suu Kyi's house and to NLD headquarters in Rangoon are now also reported to have been reconnected.
First visits
One of the first people to visit the opposition leader's house was Tin Oo, vice chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD) whose movements have also been subject to restriction.
According to reports military guards placed outside Aung San Suu Kyi's house were astonished to see him walking freely towards the building, apparently unaware that the restrictions had been lifted.
British diplomats who visited Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday afternoon told the BBC they had found her in good spirits and "well in mind", although she appeared to have lost some weight.
Later in the afternoon she began a series of talks with senior NLD officials inside her house.
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Government investigations
Shortly after Aung San Su Kyi and her colleagues were forcibly returned to the capital, the Burmese Government announced that it had begun investigations into the NLD's activities.
The move followed claims that certain members of the NLD had been involved in "terrorist activity".
Government officials repeatedly denied that any official had been formally placed under house arrest, saying it had requested they remain at home while investigations were carried out.
The government's actions drew strong international criticism with the US and UK governments accusing the Burmese authorities of blatantly violating the rights of Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues.
In Thursday's official statement the government "expressed its appreciation for the cooperation of the senior NLD members for staying at home", adding that it regretted "the inconvenience caused to those involved."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thursday, 14 September, 2000, 20:58 GMT 21:58 UK
Analysis: Have the Generals backed down?
By Burma Analyst Larry Jagan and Asia reporter Clare Arthurs
The military authorities stubbornly resisted international pressure to lift the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi, telling the world not to meddle in Burma's affairs.
Despite that stance, the removal of the restrictions which cut off the democracy leader and many of her colleagues from the world, are not altogether surprising.
Less than two weeks ago, the Burmese ambassador in London told a British minister that diplomats would be allowed to visit the opposition leader in about mid-September.
What was unexpected, however, was the meeting between the regime's powerful Secretary Number One, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, and the Chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), U Aung Shwe.
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'Cordial and fruitful'
It has been three years since there has been direct contact between the military officers of the State Peace and Development Council and the party which won elections a decade ago.
Talks broke down over the NLD's insistence that Aung San Suu Kyi should be included.
According to the government website, Thursday's meeting was "frank, cordial and fruitful".
The statement contained the usual Burmese government rhetoric, repeating the military's assurances that it was handling the transition to democracy.
However, one western diplomat who asked not to be named was told the meeting was brief and merely informed that the NLD chairman that restrictions on visits to senior NLD members had been lifted.
Offices raided
Now able to receive visitors NLD officials are said to be angry that their office in Rangoon was closed and reportedly ransacked during Aung San Suu Kyi's roadside stand-off with the Burmese authorities.
There are now fears that the generals plan to use material seized during their search to try to discredit the NLD or even try to have it banned altogether.
Aung San Suu Kyi's latest confrontation with the authorities guaranteed Burma was on the agenda at the United Nations Millennium Summit last week, whatever the military intended.
But it is not yet clear whether these latest developments indicate that pressure on the party will ease.
Deadlock stays
The Burmese authorities are keen to portray the lifting of restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues as a positive development - the NLD, on the other hand, says nothing has changed.
The Burmese military are still steadfastly refusing to talk with the NLD about resolving the country's political deadlock.
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Burma's military leaders may be hoping its latest move will stem some of the international criticism directed at them in recent weeks.
But many observers fear that this is only a pause before the Generals try once again to crush the NLD.
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says she will challenge the military authorities again with another trip outside the capital, Rangoon.
She was speaking after emerging from two weeks of virtual house arrest imposed on her by the military when she tried to leave the city last month.
She said she would travel "openly" outside the capital in the next 10 days for party organisational work.
"Stop us if you dare," said the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, challenging the ruling military council.
Asked where she would go, Aung San Suu Kyi replied: "I will let you know later...We never announce our future strategy."
Observers said she appeared to have lost some weight but looked healthy and cheerful as she arrived at the NLD headquarters in Rangoon on Friday.
Some 200 supporters assembled there gave her red and pink roses.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Nine-day protest
Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest followed a nine-day roadside protest with several other members of the NLD, after they were barred from travelling to a party meeting on 24 August.
The military forcibly ended the stand-off on 2 September and confined the leader and other members to their homes.
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Aung San Suu Kyi said she did not know why the military had lifted the restrictions on Thursday.
"It could be because of international pressure or it could be simply because of a change of their minds," she added.
She also announced the NLD planned to mount a legal challenge to a police raid on its headquarters during the roadside protest.
Correspondents say there are fears the generals plan to use material seized during their search to try to discredit the NLD or even try to have it banned altogether.
The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the lifting of restrictions and urged the military government to start political talks with the NLD.
Telephone lines to Aung San Suu Kyi and to the NLD headquarters are reported to have been reconnected.
Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party has issued a new direct challenge to the Burmese military authorities by deciding to draw up a new constitution.
The decision taken by the National League for Democracy (NLD) during a meeting in the capital, Rangoon, means the organisation would contravene a four-year-old law which forbids the drafting of a constitution without government approval.
Conviction for the offence could carry a prison sentence of between five and 20 years.
The BBC's South East Asia correspondent Simon Ingram says the NLD's challenge is likely to provoke a stern response from the generals and that the NLD may discover the international support it has received in recent weeks will offer little protection.
Convention
The Burmese authorities set up a national constitutional convention seven years ago but the NLD boycotted it on the grounds that it was dominated by the military regime.
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It has not held a meeting for four years and has not produced a constitution.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
"With the support of the people and with support from countries who support democracy, a democratic government will certainly emerge," a declaration released from the NLD said.
Security
The NLD meeting in Rangoon on Saturday was held amid tight security.
About 200 party members were allowed to attend, observed by a handful of diplomats but reporters were barred from entry by the security forces.
The meeting took place at the NLD's headquarters two days after the authorities eased restrictions on the party's leadership.
Members had been placed under house arrest for two weeks after Aung San Suu Kyi was forcibly prevented by the authorities from visiting supporters outside the capital.
Aung San Suu Kyi has announced her intention to challenge the military and travel outside Rangoon again within the next 10 days.
Burma's military rulers have marked the twelfth anniversary of the coup which brought them to power, following their suppression of student pro-democracy protests, with another denunciation of the country's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The attack, in a newspaper commentary, called the opposition leader a traitor and a devil.
On Saturday Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy outlined plans to again challenge military restrictions on travel and party business, and try to thwart a ban on drawing up a new constitution.
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The authorities say she is dangerous and relies on collusion with foreign governments to back her confrontation with the government.
Last week, the military government lifted restrictions keeping the NLD leadership under virtual house arrest.
Burma's military authorities have blocked the road leading to the house of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she announced she was planning to leave the capital Rangoon on Thursday.
Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, had said she and other party members would try to go to Mandalay in northern Burma to test the military government's restrictions on her.
Several previous attempts by the authorities to restrict Aung San Suu Kyi's movements have provoked widespread international condemnation.
United States President Bill Clinton has warned the Burmese authorities against any further confrontation with the opposition, saying the world is watching.
Officials from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party had said she would attempt to travel to Mandalay on the 1600 (0900 GMT) train.
But residents near her home are reported saying that security forces have parked vans, cars and motorcycles at both ends of the street leading to her house.
Last time the journey was attempted, in 1996, her carriage was disconnected from the rest of the train just before it left the station. Officials blamed technical problems.
House arrest
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The military authorities have maintained strict controls on Aung San Suu Kyi's travel since freeing her from six years of house arrest in 1995.
Last month she was involved in a nine-day stand-off with police, after leaving her home and attempting to drive to a party meeting outside the capital.
She and her supporters remained camped by the roadside until the authorities ended the protest and placed her under virtual house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi announced last week that she was intending to make another travel attempt.
"Stop us if you dare," she said in a challenge to the ruling military council.
Last Sunday, the NLD issued another challenge to the government by announcing plans to draw up a new constitution.
The decision contravenes a four-year-old law which forbids the drafting of a constitution without government approval.
'Crushed without mercy'
An official Burmese newspaper quoted a senior official on Thursday as saying that Aung San Suu Kyi would be "crushed" for trying to draft the constitution.
"Anyone who tries to draft a new constitution in line with the colonialists is the nation's common enemy and will be crushed without mercy," said Lieutenant General Tin Oo.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Aung San Suu Kyi was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Thursday, 21 September, 2000, 12:55 GMT 13:55 UK Burma authorities block Suu Kyi
The military authorities in Burma have again prevented the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi leaving the capital, Rangoon.
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Miss Suu Kyi went to the main railway station, planning to travel to the northern city of Mandalay.
She has not been permitted to board a train, and reports say she is still in the waiting room with the station itself surrounded by a heavy security presence, preventing visitors from entering the building.
Last time she attempted the journey, in 1996, her carriage was disconnected from the rest of the train just before it left. Officials blamed technical problems.
Accompanying Aung San Suu Kyi is the vice chairman of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Tin Oo, and a number of other party colleagues.
Reports say a number of opposition supporters have been taken away from the station in military vehicles.
Earlier, the authorities blocked the road leading to her house,. The move is the latest challenge to restrictions on opposition movements imposed by the military authorities.
Test of wills
Earlier, Aung San Suu Kyi announced she was planning to leave Rangoon by train to test the military government's resolve in maintaining its restrictions on her.
Previous efforts by the authorities to prevent the NLD leader from leaving the capital have provoked widespread international condemnation.
United States President Bill Clinton has warned the Burmese authorities against any further confrontation with the opposition, saying the world is watching.
Residents near her home on Rangoon's University Avenue reported that security forces had parked vans, cars and motorcycles at both ends of the street in an effort to prevent her leaving the house.
House arrest
The military authorities have maintained strict controls on Aung San Suu Kyi's travel since freeing her from six years of house arrest in 1995.
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Last month she was involved in a nine-day stand-off with police, after leaving her home and attempting to drive to a party meeting outside the capital.
She and her supporters remained camped by the roadside until the authorities ended the protest and placed her under virtual house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi announced last week that she was intending to make another travel attempt.
"Stop us if you dare," she said in a challenge to the ruling military council.
Last Sunday, the NLD issued another challenge to the government by announcing plans to draw up a new constitution.
The decision contravenes a four-year-old law which forbids the drafting of a constitution without government approval.
'Crushed without mercy'
An official Burmese newspaper quoted a senior official on Thursday as saying that Aung San Suu Kyi would be "crushed" for trying to draft the constitution.
"Anyone who tries to draft a new constitution in line with the colonialists is the nation's common enemy and will be crushed without mercy," said Lieutenant General Tin Oo, one of the most senior members of the ruling State Peace and Development Council.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Aung San Suu Kyi was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been prevented from leaving the capital, Rangoon, because railway officials said there were no train tickets left.
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About 100 of her supporters were herded into trucks by military police at the station and taken to an undisclosed location, diplomats and witnesses said.
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright condemned what she called "this blatent heavy-handed action" against Miss Suu Kyi's supporters as "unacceptable".
"The United States holds the Burmese Government responsible for their safety and welfare and calls for the immediate restoration of their freedom of movement and access to others, including foreign diplomats," she said.
Miss Suu Kyi had been planning to travel to the northern city of Mandalay to investigate reports of a crackdown against her supporters, but was told that all trains were full.
The authorities refused to allow her to board the final train of the day which left at 2100 (1330 GMT), eyewitnesses said.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader's latest challenge to restrictions on her travel ended with her being escorted home by police several hours later.
There was tight security around the station, with shops and businesses closed. Police in riot gear kept journalists and diplomats away.
Defiant
The military authorities have maintained strict controls on Aung San Suu Kyi's travel outside the capital since freeing her from six years of house arrest in 1995.
Last month she was involved in a nine-day stand-off with police, after leaving her home and attempting to drive to a party meeting outside the capital.
She and her supporters remained camped by the roadside until the authorities ended the protest and placed her under virtual house arrest.
Tensions
Deputy party chairman Tin Oo, who also intended to travel to Mandalay, had earlier told party supporters he wanted to investigate reports that party members had been prevented from taking party in political activities, and that their offices has been shut down.
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When Aung San Suu Kyi tried to visit Mandalay in 1996 to visit jailed supporters, her carriage was disconnected from the rest of the train just before it left. Officials blamed technical problems.
On Thursday the ruling State Peace and Development Council said the latest events were heightening tensions between the two sides.
"The latest 'stand-off' between the SPDC and the NLD and its predictable end, and the predictable media attention, does nothing for the country except to heighten tensions and generate more anger on both sides," it said in a statement.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Aung San Suu Kyi was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has condemned as "unacceptable" the forcible removal of the Burmese democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from a railway station in the capital, Rangoon.
The incident happened on Thursday after the opposition leader and several senior figures from her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were barred from travelling by train to the city of Mandalay.
The group had been planning to visit the northern city to investigate reports of a crackdown against party supporters there.
The authorities refused to allow her to board the final train of the day at 2100 local time, after railway officials said there were no tickets left.
Aung San Suu Kyi's latest challenge to restrictions on her travel ended with her being escorted home by police several hours later.
Reports from Rangoon say NLD Vice Chairman Tin Oo and seven other party members have been detained at what the authorities call a "government guesthouse" - a euphemism for detention.
'Heavy-handed'
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"This blatant, heavy-handed action is only the latest outrage committed against Aung San Suu Kyi and other party leaders by Burmese authorities," Mrs Albright said in a statement.
"The United States holds the Burmese Government responsible for their safety and welfare and calls for the immediate restoration of their freedom of movement and access to others, including foreign diplomats."
A statement from the Burmese authorities said the Nobel Peace Prize winner had "lashed out at a station cleaning crew before being asked to leave by station authorities".
The statement added that Aung San Suu Kyi and her officials were "at home, and the government is investigating the incident".
Security cordon
Earlier witnesses said about 100 NLD supporters who had gathered at the station were herded into trucks by military police at the station and taken to an undisclosed location.
Reports say a tight security cordon has now been placed around the opposition leader's home and around the headquarters of the NLD. Diplomats and journalists have been refused access.
The military authorities have maintained strict controls on Aung San Suu Kyi's travel outside the capital since freeing her from six years of house arrest in 1995.
Last month she was involved in a nine-day stand-off with police, after leaving her home and attempting to drive to a party meeting outside the capital.
She and her supporters remained camped by the roadside until the authorities ended the protest and placed her under virtual house arrest.
Tensions raised
Four years ago, when Aung San Suu Kyi tried to visit Mandalay to visit jailed supporters, her carriage was disconnected from the rest of the train just before it left. Officials blamed technical problems.
On Thursday the ruling State Peace and Development Council said the latest events were heightening tensions between the two sides.
"The latest 'stand-off' between the SPDC and the NLD and its predictable end, and the predictable media attention, does nothing
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for the country except to heighten tensions and generate more anger on both sides," it said in a statement.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990 by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Aung San Suu Kyi was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but was unable to receive it in person because she was being held under house arrest in Rangoon.
The military authorities in Burma have confirmed the detention of the deputy leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) amid a scathing media attack on the opposition leadership.
Officials said the deputy leader of the NLD, Tin Oo, was being held at a "government guesthouse."
The location has been reported to be the Ye Mon military base 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Yangon.
Officials said the move was to prevent the deputy leader from embarking on what were described as "stunts" similar to Aung San Suu Kyi's attempts to travel outside the capital.
Security around the home of Aung San Suu Kyi was also tightened after she tried to travel by train to the city of Mandalay on Thursday.
She was also warned to desist from her "confrontational" ways.
Press attack
A state run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, launched a blistering personal attack on Tin Oo and Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Tin Oo never has the will to do things in a restrained manner. He always tries to stir up trouble.
"In addition to such mischief, he always talks ill of the government and steadfastly commits acts of misconduct and holds negative views toward the government," the article said.
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It also accused him of treason and described Aung San Suu Kyi as "the messenger of destruction sent by the colonialists of the West bloc."
The article went on to advise her to rather join hands with the military for the "benefit of the nation."
The BBC's South East Asia correspondent, Clive Myrie, says the military authorities are determined to show the opposition they are in control and the opposition are in turn determined to show their resolve.
The Australian Government has added its voice to growing international criticism of the Burmese regime over its renewed detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Burmese opposition leader has been held under virtual house arrest since she was prevented from taking a train out of the capital, Rangoon, last Friday.
Describing the Burmese authorities' action as "unacceptable", Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was increasingly concerned about Aung San Suu Kyi's welfare.
"I have repeatedly urged the Burmese government to respect the right of freedom of movement and association for all Burmese people," Mr Downer said in a statement released on Monday.
"The Burmese government has once again flagrantly ignored this fundamental right."
Since being forcibly evicted from Rangoon railway station, Aung San Suu Kyi and several senior colleagues from her National League for Democracy have been held under tight security.
Telephone lines to their homes have been cut and diplomats have been denied access.
On Friday US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright condemned what she called "only the latest outrage committed against Aung San Suu Kyi and other party leaders by the Burmese authorities".
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Japan has also said it will put pressure on the Burmese Government to "lift a measure of restriction on the freedom of movement of Aun San Suu Kyi".
Burma's Government has hit out at what it calls "blatant interference" in Burma's internal affairs "under the pretext of human rights and democracy".
Movements restricted
The military authorities have maintained strict controls on Aung San Suu Kyi's travel outside the capital since freeing her from six years of house arrest in 1995.
Last month she was involved in a nine-day stand-off with police, after leaving her home and attempting to drive to a party meeting outside the capital.
That protest was also forcibly ended by the authorities, after which the opposition leader and her colleagues were detained at their homes whilst the government carried out what it said were investigations into their activities.
In official statements on last week's stand-off, the Burmese Government has said Aung San Suu Kyi was requested to leave the station after she "lashed out" at cleaning staff after being told that train tickets had sold out.
Blair quoted
It has said variously that she is being held for her own protection or to prevent social chaos.
In comments released on Monday the authorities quoted a speech from UK Prime Minister Tony Blair made during recent fuel protests to defend its actions.
"'Legitimate protest is one thing. Trying to bring the country to a halt is quite another, and there can be no justification for it'," the Burmese Information Committee's website said, quoting from Mr Blair's 12 September speech.
"The government of Myanmar [Burma] agrees with his statement," it said, adding that critics should "care for the welfare of whole 48 million population of Myanmar and not just one single individual's interests."
The UK Government has condemned the Burmese authorities for using a speech by Britain's prime minister to justify their detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,
In a statement published on its web site, the Burmese Government quoted remarks made by Tony Blair during the recent fuel protests, in which he accused demonstrators of trying to bring the country to a halt.
Burma said it agreed with these words and drew a comparison with the activities of the opposition leader.
But a spokesman for Mr Blair called the statement a cynical misrepresentation and said Burma should stop harassing Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held under virtual house arrest since she was prevented from taking a train out of the capital, Rangoon, last Friday.
The British move follows strong criticism of Burma from the Australian Government. Last week, the United States and Japan also hit out at Rangoon's crackdown on Aung San Suu Kyi.
No justification
"Legitimate protest is one thing. Trying to bring the country to a halt is quite another, and there can be no justification for it'," the Burmese Information Committee's web site quoted Mr Blair as saying.
"The government of Myanmar [Burma] agrees with his statement," it said, adding that critics should "care for the welfare of whole 48 million population of Myanmar and not just one single individual's interests."
A spokesman for No 10 Downing Street, Mr Blair's office, said: "Rather than cynically misrepresent the discourse of democratic governments, the military junta in Burma should heed the exhortation of those same governments to cease forthwith their harassment of Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters."
In remarks also released on Monday, Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, described the crackdown on Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters in the National League for Democracy as "unacceptable".
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Blatant interference
Burma's Government has hit out at what it calls "blatant interference" in Burma's internal affairs "under the pretext of human rights and democracy".
The military authorities have maintained strict controls on Aung San Suu Kyi's travel outside the capital since freeing her from six years of house arrest in 1995.
Last month she was involved in a nine-day stand-off with police, after leaving her home and attempting to drive to a party meeting outside the capital.
The United Nations' special envoy on Burma, Razali Ismail, has arrived in Rangoon for talks with the military government aimed at improving human rights and promoting a return to democracy.
Mr Razali is also expected to meet the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been under virtual house arrest since she was barred from travelling to the northern city of Mandalay over two weeks ago.
His visit comes as the military government renews its attacks on western countries, accusing them of working with the opposition to destabilise Burma.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the military rulers refused to hand over power.
She was placed under house arrest for six years until 1995 and hundreds of her supporters have been jailed.
Human rights
Mr Razali, a Malaysian diplomat, has kept his schedule for the four-day talks a closely-guarded secret.
The UN is only saying that he will discuss "continuing violations of human rights" in Burma, also known as Myanmar, and report back to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
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Mr Razali was appointed as special envoy on Burma last April with a mandate to promote human rights and restore democracy.
His first trip under UN auspices in July apparently produced few tangible results.
Reports said Mr Razali would meet Foreign Minister Win Aung, Home Minister Colonel Tin Hlaing and the head of intelligence, First Secretary Khin Nyunt.
Plotting
On Sunday a state-run newspaper accused the United States, Britain and other western countries of plotting against Burma.
The Myanmar Alin paper also said anyone confronting the government was "committing high treason" and that the military would annihilate any danger to national sovereignty.
Burma has faced mounting international condemnation this year over its treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi and her party.
The opposition leader has not been seen since the authorities forcibly removed her from Rangoon's main rail station last month as she tried to leave the city.
The newspaper said her motive for travelling outside the capital was to "incite and instigate unrest and riots".
Wednesday, 11 October, 2000, 12:44 GMT 13:44 UK UN envoy meets Burma's Suu Kyi
The United Nations special envoy to Burma has visited the country's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, reports from the Burmese capital say.
Witnesses say the envoy, Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail, was seen entering the opposition leader's home on Wednesday accompanied by local UN officials.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who heads Burma's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), has not been seen since 12 September, when she was forcibly returned to her home after being barred from leaving Rangoon by train.
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Since then telephone lines to her house have been cut and diplomatic access to her denied in what amounts to a de facto house arrest.
Mr Razali is on a four day visit to Burma designed to try and break the deadlock between the government and the NLD.
In 1990 the party won an overwhelming victory in nationwide elections but the military has refused to hand over power.
Military crackdown
Instead it has cracked down on the NLD's activities, jailing many of its senior leaders without trial and placing strict restrictions on the movements of others.
Earlier in the day Mr Razali held talks with the leader of the Burmese junta, Senior General Than Shwe.
The meeting followed talks with another senior military figure in the Burmese Government, intelligence chief Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt.
No details have emerged from the talks but correspondents say the two meetings are the highest level contact the UN envoy has had with the Burmese regime since he was appointed to the post in April this year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thursday, 12 October, 2000, 11:52 GMT 12:52 UK
UN envoy meets Suu Kyi again
The United Nations special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, has held a second meeting with the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The talks took place at the end of Mr Razali's four-day visit to Rangoon to try and mediate between the opposition and the military government.
Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her party, the National League for Democracy, have been held under virtual house arrest for nearly three weeks since she was prevented by the authorities from travelling outside Rangoon.
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Mr Razali refused to comment on what was discussed at the meeting, but a UN official Patrice Cocur-Bizot said they talked about future possibilities.
The Burmese pro-independence leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is being sued by her elder brother for a share in the family home.
She has been summoned to appear in Rangoon district court on Tuesday, but it is not known whether the military authorities will permit her to leave house arrest.
Miss Suu Kyi's brother Aung San Oo lives in the United States; he is not as openly critical of the military government as his sister. The lakeside villa where the independence leader lives -- and was held under house arrest for six years -- was given to her mother by the then-government after the assassination of her father Aung San in 1947. Last month there was an attempt to evict her party from its headquarters.
But the owners of the building temporarily abandoned the attempt after they could not deliver the eviction notice to senior party members, who are all under house arrest.
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is being sued by her elder brother for a share in the family home.
The Nobel laureate has been summoned to appear in Rangoon District Court next Tuesday.
It is not clear whether the military authorities who are holding her under house arrest will allow her to attend.
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The lakeside villa where Aung San Suu Kyi lives was given to her mother by the then civilian government after the 1947 assassination of her father, General Aung San.
Her brother Aung San Oo lives in the United States, but makes regular personal and business trips to Burma.
His legal representative in Rangoon has posted the subpoena on the gate of the two-storey house.
Deadline
Their mother Khin Kyi, who died in 1988, is believed to have wanted the villa to be shared equally between her two children.
Reports say that under Burmese law, inheritance disputes must be settled within 12 years.
Aung San Oo's legal move comes just one month before that deadline expires.
Unlike his sister, he is not openly critical of the government and the two are known not to be close.
Ban
Aung San Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since 22 September, when the government confined her to her home after she attempted to board a train to Mandalay in defiance of a travel ban.
Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the elections in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power.
Last month, there was an attempt to evict the NLD from its headquarters.
But the owners of the building postponed the attempt when they could not deliver the eviction notice to senior party members who are all under house arrest.
Lawyers for the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi have launched her defence in a property suit filed by her elder brother over the ownership of the family home.
The lawyers appeared in court in the Burmese capital, Rangoon, to file an objection to the lawsuit.
The judge adjourned the proceedings until next week.
Aung San Suu Kyi is being sued by her US-based brother for half-ownership of the lakeside villa that has been the family home for more than half-a-century.
The Nobel prize winner, who did not appear in court, has been under house arrest for more than two months after she challenged restrictions on her movements by trying to travel to the provinces to visit members of her National League for Democracy party.
The Burmese military government says it's lifted some of the restrictions on six senior members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.
But the government spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Hla Min said Aung San Suu Kyi and two of her key party officials Tin Oo and Aung Shwe are still being held under house arrest.
It was imposed more than two months ago, after they'd tried to challenge a military ruling that they could not leave the capital, Rangoon.
President Clinton will award the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a ceremony in Washington on Thursday.
A White House spokesman Jake Siewert said Mr Clinton wanted to honour Miss Suu Kyi for promoting democracy through peaceful dialogue.
The medal will be presented to her son Alexander Aris as Miss Suu Kyi has been held under house arrest by the Burmese military government for the past two months after she challenged restrictions on her movements by trying to travel to the provinces to visit members of her party the National League for Democracy.
US President Bill Clinton has conferred America's highest civilian honour on Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
But Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to collect the Presidential Medal of Freedom in person because she is under virtual house arrest in the Burmese capital Rangoon.
"She sits confined, as we speak here, in her home in Rangoon, unable to speak to her people or the world." Mr Clinton said as he presented the award to her son, Alexander Aris. "But her struggle continues and her spirit still inspires us."
Aung San Suu Kyi is already a Nobel Peace Prize winner because of her opposition to the country's military rulers who have now confined her to her home.
Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory in elections in 1990 but the military authorities refused to hand over power.
Bravery
Mr Clinton warned Burma's rulers they would remain outcasts until they allowed Aung San Suu Kyi's party to take power.
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Paying tribute to the democracy leader, he added: "She has seen her supporters beaten, tortured and killed, yet she has never responded to hatred and violence in kind. All she has ever asked for is peaceful dialogue.
"The only weapons the Burmese people have are the words of reason and the example of this astonishingly brave woman." he added.
"America will also be a friend to freedom in Burma - a friend for as long as it takes to reach the goal for which she has sacrificed so very much."
Aung San Suu Kyi was confined to her house in September after trying to leave the capital to visit party supporters in Mandalay.
The authorities also placed her under house arrest for six years from 1989 until 1995.
The Medal of Freedom was established by President Harry Truman as a wartime honour. President John F Kennedy reintroduced it as way to honour civilian service.
The younger son of the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has arrived in Rangoon to visit his mother who is under house arrest.
The son, Kim Aris, is accompanied by his wife and their young son.
They flew into Rangoon from Britain on board a Thai airlines flight.
A statement by the Burmese military government wished the family an enjoyable time during their reunion.
Meanwhile, in a legal case between Aung San Suu Kyi and her brother, Aung San Oo, a Rangoon court has ordered his lawyers to hand over a copy of the claim he has lodged for a half share in her house.
Aung San Suu Kyi's team have two weeks to present a challenge to the claim.
The Burmese junta has reportedly said it is ready to lift restrictions on opposition leaders.
The breakthrough came at the first meeting of European and south-east Asian ministers in three years.
French Co-operation Minister Charles Josselin said: "The Burmese explained to us that they have already lifted restrictions on some opposition leaders and are ready to lift restrictions against some others."
Mr Josselin told AFP news agency he understood this to include the Nobel Peace prize winner Aung Sung Suu Kyi who has been effectively under house arrest since September.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party (NLD) won the general elections in 1990, but Burma's military rulers refused to hand over power.
Mr Josselin said the Burmese delegation made its undertaking during the meeting of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and European Union ministers in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
The two sides have not sat down together for three years because of their differences over human rights in Burma which joined Asean in 1997.
'No problem'
European delegates are trying to secure an agreement from Burma to allow an EU fact-finding mission to visit the country in January.
They want the mission to be allowed to meet opposition leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi, minority groups and aid workers.
EU ministers are demanding all restrictions on NLD leaders be lifted.
But Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung told reporters in Vientiane there was no problem with human rights in his country.
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"We don't have violations of human rights ... I can simply tell the [ministers] what's happening in our country and I am not afraid to face this sort of criticism," Win Aung added.
Asean countries have a policy of non-interference in member countries' domestic affairs.
But European ministers said they had no intention of backing down on the human rights issue.
"Human rights everywhere in the world is the rights of people not of states," said Dutch minister of state Hans Van Mierlo.
Slighted
The other main issue at Monday's talks was the level of representation.
The 10 Asean countries, who all sent their foreign ministers, were upset that the European countries had only despatched junior ministers and bureaucrats.
European delegates said this was because their foreign ministers were tied up with the extended EU summit in Nice, France.
Reports from Burma say that five activists from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy have been sentenced to twenty-one years in prison each.
Those imprisoned include a member of parliament, Saw Naing Naing, and a well-known poet, Pyapon Neelon Oo.
Sources from within the pro-democracy party say that the activists were sentenced under the emergency act and an act outlawing the printing of illegal documents.
A sixth activist was sentenced to seven years in jail.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has arrived in Burma, raising hopes he could help broker dialogue between the military government and opposition.
Mr Mahathir was due to meet the Burmese junta's head, Senior General Than Shwe, chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, on Wednesday.
But reports said no meeting had been scheduled with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under de facto house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the 1990 elections by a landslide, but the military refused to hand over power.
Efforts to achieve reconciliation in the country have been spearheaded by Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail, the United Nations secretary-general's special envoy to Burma.
Mr Razali, who was allowed to meet Aung San Suu Kyi last October, arrives in the capital Rangoon on Friday for his third mission to Burma since taking up the post.
He is the only diplomat who has been permitted to see the Nobel Peace Prize winner since she was confined to her house in September as part of a crackdown on the NLD.
'Payback time'
Thailand's The Nation newspaper said Mr Mahathir's visit was an opportunity to break the political deadlock.
"It is irreversible that Burma must change to move ahead with the world of the 21st Century," it added.
"With Mahathir's personal assistance and risk-taking, this is a great opportunity for Burma to change."
The paper said it was "payback time for the junta leaders" following Burma's admittance to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 1997.
Some member countries, in particular Thailand, are increasingly frustrated by the political isolation Asean has suffered as a result of Burma's inclusion.
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Mr Mahathir, who last visited Burma in March 1998, is on a seven-day trip to the country.
On Thursday he will travel to the Burma-Thailand border to explore opportunities in the fisheries, timber and mining sectors for Malaysian companies.
Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, is visiting a group of islands in the Andaman Sea on the second day of his trip to Burma.
It is believed he could be examining the feasibility of Malaysian businesses establishing oil and rubber plantations on the islands.
Malaysia is the sixth largest investor in Burma.
Mr Mahathir's visit to Burma has raised hopes that he could help broker dialogue between the military government and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under de facto house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the 1990 elections by a landslide, but the military refused to hand over power.
Trade
Mr Mahathir, long seen as a close ally of Burma's generals, met the military government's leader, General Than Shwe, on Wednesday.
The talks were said to cover increased economic co-operation and trade.
No meeting has been scheduled between Mr Mahathir and Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been confined to her home since September.
But diplomatic sources have said he is expected to urge the generals to make some concessions to break the political deadlock during private talks.
This has led to speculation that the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi may be eased shortly, as a gesture to the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
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Burma was admitted to Asean during Malaysia's presidency three years ago.
But some member countries, in particular Thailand, are increasingly frustrated by the political isolation Asean has suffered as a result of Burma's inclusion.
UN envoy
A Malaysian opposition leader, Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad, has meanwhile written an open letter urging Mr Mahathir to meet Aung San Suu Kyi.
Dr Syed Azman said it was important for South-East Asian countries to voice their protests against human rights violations in Burma.
The United Nation special envoy Razali Ismail is due to visit Burma on Friday to resume his efforts to break the political stalemate.
Dr Razali, who is also Malaysian, has been assurred of access to Aung San Suu Kyi during his trip.
The United Nations special envoy for Burma, Razali Ismail, has begun a five day visit to Rangoon for talks with the country's military rulers.
He is also expected to meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under virtual house arrest.
UN sources say Mr Razali, a senior Malaysian diplomat, is confident he can help bridge the gap between the military and the opposition.
He arrives in Rangoon just as the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad is about to leave after talks with Burma's leaders on economic and political issues.
Deadlock
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This is Mr Razali's third visit since the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed him in April last year.
The UN has been involved in trying to break the deadlock between Burma's military leaders and the pro-democracy opposition for more than ten years.
But successive envoys, including a human rights rapporteur, have made little progress in getting the two sides to talk.
Mr Razali is believed to be prepared to talk tough with Burma's generals on this trip.
He is expected to urge them to be more conciliatory towards Aung San Suu Kyi, and consider establishing some form of dialogue with her opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).
Government sources in Kuala Lumpur say Mr Mahathir has strongly urged Burma's military leaders to be less intransigent during his visit.
Democracy
Mr Razali has been assurred that he will have access to the opposition leader during his visit.
This has led to speculation that the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi may be eased as a gesture to the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
According to sources close to Mr Razali, he saw his previous visits as familiarisation and fact-finding trips.
This time he wants to get down to business and discuss concrete ideas with both parties that might resolve the political deadlock.
He will be trying to convince Burma's generals that economic development and democracy go hand in hand.
But Burma's military rulers have steadfastly refused to hand over power to a civilian government even though the NLD won the national elections ten years ago.
So far they have ignored Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD's frequent appeals for the military to enter a meaningful dialogue on the country's political future.
The United Nations special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, has held a second meeting with the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under house arrest.
Mr Ismail -- who is trying to start a dialogue between the military rulers and the opposition -- made no comment after the two-hour meeting, but correspondents say there are expectations that after three visits, Mr Ismail's efforts may be beginning to achieve some results.
During his visit, he also held talks with representatives of the military government. More details of the talks are expected to be made public after Mr Ismail has briefed the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York.
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met senior representatives of the military government in the first such reported contact in five years.
The UN envoy to Burma Razali Ismail told the BBC that regular contact was planned and the process of national reconciliation had begun.
He was speaking after a visit to Rangoon during which he met both sides - even though Aung San Suu Kyi is under virtual house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide election victory in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power.
"I think this [meeting] is extremely significant," Mr Razali said. "It's what the UN and international community were hoping would happen and we're very glad this has taken place."
Optimism
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Mr Razali declined to name the military leaders who met Aung San Suu Kyi, but said it was at a sufficiently high level that both sides were satisfied.
Sources in Rangoon believe the military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt was involved.
Although the UN has confirmed the meeting no one is divulging any details.
According to diplomats in Rangoon there is cautious optimism that the country's political deadlock is in the process of being broken.
They believe recent international pressure may have unsettled the country's military leaders and encouraged them to be more conciliatory towards Aung San Suu Kyi
In November the International Labour Organisation demanded member countries consider adopting economic sanctions against Rangoon.
The Association of South East Asian Nations, to which Burma was admitted in 1997, has also played a constructive role.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was in Rangoon last week, is understood to have told Burma's regime very forcefully that they needed to be more conciliatory.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has welcomed reports that Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret talks with senior representatives of the military government for several months.
The news came as the two sides held their first publicly announced meeting in more than five years.
Those discussions coincided with a five-day mission by UN envoy Razali Ismail that included talks with both sides in the political deadlock.
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Mr Ismail told the BBC that continuing contact between the military government and Aung San Suu Kyi's party was planned and the process of national reconciliation had begun.
"I think this [meeting] is extremely significant," Mr Razali said.
"It's what the UN and international community were hoping would happen and we're very glad this has taken place."
US pleased
The United States, one of Aung San Suu Kyi's strongest supporters, cautiously welcomed the news.
But Secretary of State Madeleine Albright warned that the military rulers must treat the Nobel Prize-winning democracy activist seriously.
"She needs to be respected as a political leader and not as, what was explained to me, a 'little sister' that they have to take care of by keeping her in her house", Mrs Albright said.
Mr Ismail's meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi was her first contact with an outside visitor in nearly three months; she is under virtual house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide election victory in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power.
Optimism
Mr Razali declined to name the military leaders who met Aung San Suu Kyi, but said it was at a sufficiently high level that both sides were satisfied.
Sources in Rangoon believe the military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt was involved.
Although the UN has confirmed the meeting no one is divulging any details.
According to diplomats in Rangoon there is cautious optimism that the country's political deadlock is in the process of being broken.
They believe recent international pressure may have unsettled the country's military leaders and encouraged them to be more conciliatory towards Aung San Suu Kyi.
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In November the International Labour Organisation demanded member countries consider adopting economic sanctions against Rangoon.
The Association of South East Asian Nations, to which Burma was admitted in 1997, has also played a constructive role.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was in Rangoon last week, is understood to have told Burma's regime very forcefully that they needed to be more conciliatory.
There's been a positive reaction to the announcement of talks between the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the country's military government.
A spokesman for the Burmese government in exile Maung Maung Aye said that he hoped the meetings would build trust between the two sides, and support true dialogue to achieve national reconciliation.
A Thailand-based dissident group, the All Burma Students Democratic Front, has called the talks a historic breakthrough.
But the United States secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, has added a note of caution, warning that it was necessary to wait and see whether the Burmese government was offering genuine dialogue.
The meetings are the first between the two sides since 1994.
The international community has cautiously welcomed the news that Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met the country's military leaders.
This was the first such face-to-face meeting for more than six years and therefore must be significant.
At least the two sides appear to be talking to each other - that's something that hasn't happened since before Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest in mid-1995.
But many people of course remain sceptical that a real dialogue has actually begun.
Burma's military rulers have in the past tried to exploit developments for their own purposes.
At present it is certainly in their interests to show they are being more conciliatory towards the opposition leader.
Sanctions
Burma's military rulers are worried about the potential impact of the International Labour Organisation's decision late last year to urge their members to step up pressure on Rangoon to end forced labour and improve its human rights record.
They fear that many countries might consider imposing economic sanctions against Burma.
At the same time it's quite clear that the other South East Asia leaders have been telling the Burmese Government privately that they should be more conciliatory towards Aung San Suu Kyi.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a long-time supporter of Burma, has led the way in this.
The UN envoy Razali Ismail said Mr Mahathir's visit to Burma last week had been important in helping break the country's political deadlock.
It is probably no coincidence that immediately on his return from Rangoon, Mr Mahathir announced plans to bring in workers from Burma for the construction, manufacturing and plantation industries.
This will earn much needed foreign currency for Burma.
Family visit
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Sources in the opposition National League for Democracy say their position has always been clear; Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD have consistently appealed to the generals to enter a dialogue.
The problem has always been the military's reluctance to do so. But it does appear that Aung San Suu Kyi has been more conciliatory towards the military recently.
This certainly seems to have been the case during the recent visit of her son Kim, his partner and her grandson, when Aung San Suu Kyi allowed the military to make the travel arrangements.
Some Rangoon residents are now speculating Aung San Suu Kyi has been mellowed by the time she spent with her grandson in December.
Asean
But the major problem for Aung San Suu Kyi now is where can this dialogue process go.
Only in December, at the EU-Asean meeting in Laos, the Burmese foreign minister said the government was happy to talk to Aung San Suu Kyi provided she admitted she was wrong.
While talks may be under way there is no evidence Burma's military rulers are considering giving up power or even sharing it.
They have increased the strength of the army and are busy building an organisational structure to support them.
The United Solidarity Development Association or USDA - the government's so-called grassroots civilian organisation - is growing and boasts more than 10 million members.
The military is also building hospitals and schools for its own use, opening medical colleges and technical institutes.
But the army knows there are still major issues it hasn't been able to tackle such as the country's massive Aids epidemic, the crisis in education with most universities still effectively closed, and a rapidly deteriorating economy.
The military rulers may feel these are issues which they can discuss with Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD without compromising their hold on power.
China
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The UN envoy Mr Razali seems to have finally helped start a dialogue of sorts between the two sides.
Although there are few details of what he discussed with both parties, he says he's keen to find ways of strengthening the process.
He says he's also prepared to travel anywhere in the region if it will help maintain the momentum. UN sources say he's planning to visit China shortly.
Beijing has been one of Burma's most ardent supporters since the military coup in 1988 brought the current crop of generals to power.
While it's obviously good the generals and Aung San Suu Kyi are talking, the international community will also expect early signs of concrete results.
Releasing the opposition leader from virtual house arrest and freeing other NLD leaders who are currently detained would seem like a good place to start.
The British government has said it's encouraged by the announcement that the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been holding talks with the military government.
But a Foreign Office Minister, John Battle, said Britain had no intention of relaxing pressure on the Burmese authorities to respect democracy and human rights, until there was evidence of real progress.
Governments around the world cautiously welcomed the news of the talks on Wednesday.
Analysts warned the process towards reconciliation would proceed slowly. The meetings were the first since 1994, when similar discussions -- also between Aung San Suu Kyi and Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt -- made no progress.
Reports from Burma say the country's military authorities have ordered the state media to halt its attacks on the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The reports follow the confirmation last week of secret talks between Miss Suu Kyi and members of the military government.
A BBC correspondent in the region says that if the reports about the media are confirmed, they will strengthen hopes of a breakthrough in Burma's long political stalemate.
Our correspondent says the United Nations special envoy on Burma, Razali Ismail, is thought to have urged the military rulers to stop the hostile propaganda as part of his bid to encourage dialogue between the two sides.
The Burmese authorities have reportedly ordered a halt to attacks on the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in the state-run media.
Reports, quoting military sources follow confirmation last week of secret talks between Miss Suu Kyi and senior figures in the ruling State Peace and Development Council.
It is hoped the move will strengthen chances of a breakthrough in Burma's long and debilitating political stalemate.
Vicious diatribes, often accompanied by equally insulting cartoons, have long been a staple ingredient of Burma's tightly-controlled press.
Press vitriol
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Their prime target has been Aung San Suu Kyi, a woman depicted variously as a witch, a traitor and an enemy of her people.
Many of the attacks on Miss Suu Kyi have been of a highly personal nature - for example her marriage to the late British academic, Michael Aris earned her particular scorn from Rangoon's media commentators.
The sneering tone and the vulgar language of these attacks became thoroughly predictable.
However, they also underline the yawning political divide between Burma's military rulers and Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party achieved a sweeping, but still unrecognised, victory in 1990 parliamentary elections.
Hopes of dialogue
That seems to have been the point made by United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail, who confirmed the contacts between Miss Suu Kyi and the military leadership during a visit last week.
Mr Razali reportedly urged a halt to the hostile propaganda as part of his bid to encourage a meaningful dialogue between the two sides.
The talks, which started in secret last October, have triggered unusual optimism among opposition groups abroad.
But some worry that the government's real motive is to persuade the international community to ease the pressure it is exerting on Rangoon.
A court in Burma has dismissed a suit by the estranged brother of opposition leader Aung San Su Kyi over ownership rights to her home.
Aung San Oo had wanted half of the family property where the pro-democracy leader lives, under virtual house arrest.
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The ruling is being seen as another sign of a thaw in the military's treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi in a country where the courts are strictly controlled by the authorities.
It came as Burma's pro-democracy leader takes part in reconciliation talks with the ruling military government over their decade-long political deadlock.
Aung San Oo, who lives in the United States, filed a suit last year claiming the right to half of the large house in central Rangoon.
But Judge Soe Thein threw out his petition, citing technical problems with the way it was filed.
The court ruled that Aung San Oo should have filed for administration rights to the house, instead of seeking to partition it by gaining a share of half the property.
A decision in his favour could have seen the Nobel Prize winner evicted from the villa, once owned by their late mother.
Aung San Oo's case was believed to have been brought with the tacit approval of the government.
Signs of a thaw
In addition to the talks recently begun between the opposition and the government, cartoons and commentaries aimed at her and her National League for Democracy (NLD) have suddenly ceased.
Aung San Suu Kyi and Aung San Oo are children of independence hero General Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947 when the country was on the threshold of independence from Britain.
Aung San Oo, is believed to disagree with his sisters's political views, which have put her in direct confrontation with Burma's military rulers in the past.
The National League for Democracy party won the elections in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power.
Aung San Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since September, when the government confined her to her home after she attempted to board a train to Mandalay in defiance of a travel ban.
A leading figure in Burma's pro-democracy movement has been released after four months' imprisonment in a military camp.
Tin Oo, the 74-year-old vice-chairman of the opposition National League for Democracy, was detained in September with the group's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and several other campaigners.
They had attempted to leave the capital Rangoon in order to meet supporters in the countryside.
The release follows recent mediation between the military government and opposition, conducted by UN special envoy Razali Ismail.
The other National League for Democracy members detained with Tin Oo have also been freed - with the exception of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under virtual house arrest but is expected to be released soon.
In addition, 19 members of the league's youth wing are reported to have been released.
However, it appears that Tin Oo is still under some restrictions, such as being barred from receiving visitors.
BBC regional analyst Larry Jagan says Tin Oo's release is timed to impress a European Union delegation that is due to arrive in Burma.
The delegation will examine the political situation and other issues including the use of forced labour.
'Gesture of goodwill'
A National League for Democracy spokesman welcomed Tin Oo's release.
"We feel that this may be a gesture of goodwill ahead of the European Union delegation's visit," he said. "We hope that more [releases] will follow."
In another sign of the easing of tension between the military and the opposition, the state-controlled media recently stopped its vitriolic attacks on Aung San Suu Kyi.
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The National League for Democracy won an overwhelming 82% of the vote in national elections in 1990, but the military refused to hand over power.
A delegation from the European Union has arrived in Burma to assess whether there has been any progress towards national reconciliation.
They will be checking on the outcome of talks between the military government and the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, at the end of last year.
The contents of the meetings, the first for several years, have not been revealed.
But they've raised hopes that the government may eventually be willing to consider sharing power with the opposition.
Malaysian mediation
The delegation has been promised a meeting with the National League for Democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still living under house arrest in the capital, Rangoon.
Only then will they know her views on the meetings she is reported to have had with one of the most important military officers.
Those meetings occurred after mediation by a Malaysian diplomat working for the United Nations.
Malaysia and other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) have been applying diplomatic pressure to the regime in Rangoon to make concessions to the opposition because of the damage Burma's membership of Asean is doing to the bloc's relations with Western governments.
Power monopoly
The EU delegation will also be meeting key officials in the military government to try to assess their intentions.
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Until now, there have been few indications that the regime may be willing to relax its monopoly on power.
Aung San Suu Kyi has also not yet abandoned her demand that the generals accept the results of the 1990 elections, which were won by her National League for Democracy.
If there is any prospect of a compromise in Burma, it could still be a long way off.
A European Union (EU) delegation began talks with Burma's military government on Monday to urge them to move towards democracy.
The visit comes amid cautious optimism that the country's political deadlock is in the process of being broken.
Last week, the military released 84 members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) from detention.
And Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, fresh from a visit to the country, said in a newspaper article published on Sunday that the ruling junta was willing to hold elections in a few years.
It has also emerged that the NLD's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been engaged in secret talks with senior military leaders for several months.
Breakthrough scepticism
The EU team was due to meet later on Monday with Foreign Minister Win Aung and Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the powerful head of military intelligence.
It will also later meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still living under house arrest in Rangoon, and with foreign aid workers in the country.
The delegation hope to uncover the exact contents of the meetings between the junta and NLD, the first for several years, which have not yet been revealed.
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Asian and Western governments have welcomed the talks but many observers remain sceptical that a major breakthrough is in the offing.
Nevertheless, there is a new mood of optimism in Burma, with celebrations continuing at the NLD's headquarters in Rangoon.
Elections
Mr Mahathir, who is said to have close relations with Burma's rulers, told Japan's Mainichi Shimbun newspaper that the junta was open to holding elections in a few years.
"The elections will not be held this year or next. It should be held in a few years," he said, adding the ruling junta was willing to hold discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi to find solutions for the country.
The military has never recognised the outcome of a 1990 general election in which the NLD won by a landslide.
Malaysia and other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations have been applying some diplomatic pressure to Rangoon to make concessions to the opposition.
"We feel that the benefits of the kind of liberal democracy that we have in Asean countries should be exposed and made known to [Burma]," he said.
Until now, there have been few indications that the regime may be willing to relax its monopoly on power.
A European Union delegation visiting Burma has arrived at the home of the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is being held under house arrest.
It is reported to be only her second diplomatic contact in more than four months.
The meeting was one of the conditions set by the EU representatives for agreeing to travel to Rangoon.
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The four-day visit, which began on Sunday, is aimed at breaking the deadlock between the Burmese Government and Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).
The NLD won by a landslide in the 1990 general election, but the military has refused to hand over power.
Dialogue
On Monday, the EU delegation began talks with the country's military government to urge them to move towards democracy. It met Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the powerful head of military intelligence.
Earlier this month, the United Nations revealed Aung San Suu Kyi and senior government leaders had held secret meetings - the first between the two sides in six years.
The pro-democracy leader herself has not commented publicly about the talks, which are understood to have been with General Nyunt.
Celebrations
The EU is maintaining sanctions against the country because of persistent human rights violations by the regime.
Asian and Western governments have welcomed the EU visit, but many observers remain sceptical that a major breakthrough is in the offing.
Nevertheless, there is a new mood of optimism in Burma and at the NLD's headquarters in Rangoon.
Last week, the military released 84 NLD members of from detention.
And the media's repeated attacks on Aung San Suu Kyi have recently stopped.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, fresh from a visit to the country, also said in a newspaper article published on Sunday that the ruling junta was willing to hold elections in a few years.
Aung San Suu Kyi's only other diplomatic contact since September, has been with UN special envoy Razali Ismail, who met her on two mediation missions in October and January.
The recent talks between Burma's military rulers and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are the most promising development for a decade, according to a European Union delegation which has just visited the country.
However, it warned that the reconciliation process between the two sides was still fragile.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won the 1990 elections, but the military has refused to discuss relinquishing power.
The five EU delegates described their four-day visit to Burma as intense and hectic.
They held five hours of talks with members of the military government, including the powerful chief of intelligence, General Khin Nyunt, and two hours with Aung San Suu Kyi at her home in Rangoon where she is under virtual house arrest.
But they were given little information about the recent dialogue between the military and the opposition.
Relations between the two sides are still so delicate that they are keeping the content of their discussions confidential.
House arrest
However, the head of the EU delegation, Borje Ljunggren, said they were encouraged by what they had heard.
"We had the impression that the contacts were the most interesting development since 1990," he said after arriving in Bangkok.
But Mr Ljunggren warned that the process or reconciliation was "not yet irreversible".
Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, has been confined to her home since 22 September after she tried to travel outside Rangoon to meet party supporters in Mandalay.
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"We found her in a very good mood and well in all respects, very focused on the questions she is concerned about," Mr Ljunggren said.
During their two hour meeting she was "full of humour and wit", he added.
NLD members freed
The recent meetings between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military rulers are the first direct talks between the two sides in six years.
There have also been several other signs that the military leaders are softening their stance towards the NLD.
Last week, more than 80 NLD prisoners, including party vice-chairman Tin Oo, were released from detention.
The media's repeated denunciations of the NLD have also suddenly ceased.
American diplomats in Burma have disclosed that a senior State Department official had a meeting on Monday with the democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The official, Ralph Boyce, who is deputy asistant secretary for east Asia, is the first American diplomat permitted to see Miss Suu Kyi since she was put under house detention five months ago.
US diplomats say the purpose of the visit was to show US support for the recent dialogue between Miss Suu Kyi and the government.
Burma's military government has said the newly-appointed United Nations rapporteur on human rights will be allowed to visit the country next week.
It is the first visit by a UN human rights expert in almost five years.
The previous rapporteur was denied access to the country and resigned last year.
Since his appointment two months ago, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro has kept a low-profile.
Unlike his predecessors, he has not held extensive discussions with diplomats, nor consulted human rights activists or Burmese opposition figures.
UN sources say he has taken a discreet approach to his mission.
He is due to visit Burma early next week.
Resolution ahead
Although no details of his schedule are available, he is expected to meet Burma's military leaders and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under house arrest.
The visit is intended to provide the rapporteur with a chance to assess first-hand the Burmese situation before the Human Rights Commission discusses a resolution on Burma next month.
The UN has confirmed that Mr Pinheiro will address the commission late next week.
Mr Pinheiro's predecessor, Rajsoomer Lallah was never allowed to visit Burma, although the two previous envoys, Professor Yozo Yokata and Mrs Sadako Ogata were given access.
Mr Pinheiro has also not adopted his predecessors' practice of widely consulting the leaders and representatives of Burma's ethnic minorities.
Instead he has been discussing Burma with many of Asia's leaders.
Regional anxiety
He has held talks with Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
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As a result, UN sources in Geneva say, the resolution to be discussed at the Human Rights Commission in a fortnight's time will have a lot of Asian input.
It is likely to be strongly critical of Burma's human rights situation while praising the junta's efforts to talk to Aung San Suu Kyi about the country's political future.
Western diplomats in Asia believe that Burma's neighbours, the countries in the regional grouping Asean, are increasingly anxious that Burma's record does not impede relations with Europe and the United States.
There is also growing embarrassment that Burma has made little progress towards democracy in the past four years since it joined Asean.
Peer pressure
Some countries like Singapore are concerned that most business ventures in Burma have not been profitable, and that capital invested in the country cannot be repatriated.
The Thais remain primarily concerned about the drugs trade in Burma, which has resulted in ever-increasing numbers of drug addicts in Thailand.
Many analysts believe it is pressure from its neighbours, particularly the Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad, which has contributed to the Burmese generals taking a more conciliatory approach to Aung San Suu Kyi.
There have been ongoing talks between the two sides since October.
These talks have been held in complete secret. And with little concrete information coming out of Burma it is difficult to know how they are progressing.
There has only been one confirmed face-to-face meeting between the intelligence chief Lt General Khin Nyunt and Aung San Suu Kyi.
There is no doubt that the military authorities are keen to exploit the situation and represent any movement to their advantage.
Hint of change
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At recent official occasions, including last week's Army Day, the country's leader General Than Shwe has hinted at the thaw in relations with Aung San Suu Kyi.
He has even suggested that in the long-run democracy may even a desirable form of government.
But there is no doubt that Burma's military will not be rushed into introducing multi-party democracy.
After all, they established a National Convention to draw up a new constitution which appears to be no closer to finishing its task than it was when it started eight years ago.
While analysts are seeing Mr Pinheiro's trip to Rangoon as further evidence that the Burmese military is adopting a more conciliatory approach to the outside world, there signs it is not going as far as it would like the international community to believe.
Although the human rights rapporteur has been given access to Burma, diplomatic sources say a further visit by the UN special envoy Dr Razali Ismail has been refused.
Sources close to the envoy believe Rangoon was upset by Dr Razali's attempt to get the ethnic minorities involved in tripartite talks with the generals and Aung San Suu Kyi.
If this is the case the international community needs to be careful in how far it endorses Burma's ruling military's new found flexibility.
The United Nations human rights envoy to Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has met the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in the capital, Rangoon.
Mr Pinheiro was allowed to visit Miss Suu Kyi at her home in Yangon where she's been under virtual house arrest since late last year.
He gave no details of the meeting.
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Mr Pinheiro's tour of Burma to inspect human rights is the first such visit to be allowed by the military regime in five years.
Correspondents say the move, together with talks between Miss Suu Kyi and the country's rulers, is being seen as a sign that Rangoon is now prepared to make conciliatory gestures on the democracy issue.
Mr Pinheiro has said he'll make a full report on his findings when he returns to Geneva on Friday.
UN special human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro has met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the capital Rangoon.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy, has been kept under virtual house arrest by the military regime since September last year.
A car carrying Mr Pinheiro was seen entering the compound of her home.
He stayed for just over one hour - but no details of the meeting are available.
Mr Pinheiro's three-day visit to Burma is the first of its kind in nearly five years and is being seen as a sign that significant changes are taking place in Rangoon.
'Exploratory' talks
The UN envoy met a senior figure from the National League for Democracy on Wednesday - although it was not clear at that stage if Burma's generals would permit a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Mr Pinheiro, who ends his visit on Thursday, has also held talks with senior figures in the military, and visited a gas pipeline project south-east of Rangoon.
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Mr Pinheiro has given little away about his talks - except to describe them as "exploratory".
He has already spent nearly a week in the region talking to Burma's neighbours, including Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.
Slow progress
Analysts believe that the military government has permitted Mr Pinheiro to visit Burma in the hope of deflecting criticism of the country's human rights record.
Another hopeful sign recently has been the renewed dialogue between the government and Aung San Suu Kyi.
However, BBC correspondent Jonathan Head says if there is movement towards reform, it is happening very slowly.
He says it is too soon to say if Burma's generals are ready to relax their hold on power.
The military took over in 1988 after suppressing a pro-democracy uprising.
They refused to honour the result of elections in 1990, which were won by the National League for Democracy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Friday, 6 April, 2001, 21:49 GMT 22:49 UK
Suu Kyi's brother renews legal battle
The estranged brother of the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is reported to have renewed his attempt to lay legal claim to her home.
Aung San Oo, who lives in the United States, had a previous petition to secure a half share in the family property dismissed by a Burmese court in January.
Correspondents say that although the court's decision was based on a technicality, it indicated a more tolerant stance by the military government towards Aung San Suu Kyi with whom it started secret talks last October.
A lawyer for Miss Suu Kyi said the opposition leader was unhappy with the timing of the renewed law suit. Miss Suu Kyi has been
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confined to the property, said to be worth two-million dollars, for much of the time since returning to Burma from Europe in 1988.
Unconfirmed Reports say the new case will be heard on the 23rd of April.
A court case has opened in Burma in a renewed effort by the brother of the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to secure a half share in the family home in Rangoon.
The lakeside property is said to be worth two million dollars.
Miss Suu Kyi has lived there since she returned to Burma 13 years ago; much of the time she's been under house arrest.
A previous case was dismissed in January, in what correspondents saw as an indication of a softening of the Burmese military government's stance towards Miss Suu Kyi.
She is reported to be unhappy about the reopening of the hearing, which has been adjourned for a week.
Volunteers tap out a newsletter in the back of an old office in Rangoon. The office is the last refuge of the National League for Democracy(NLD), the party that won Burma's last election.
The party won a landslide victory in the 1990 election but the military authorities refused to hand over power.
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Crowds still throng the dilapidated NLD headquarters, drawn in by leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who continues her campaign against military rule from house arrest.
But party leaders admit that years of repression, are taking their toll.
"We cannot keep up our membership, some are getting old, some are getting disease or something like that and some were forced by security people to leave the party," said U Lwin, the party's Executive Secretary, "so we're reduced to the very bare minimum."
'Not stalled'
So the news of a secret dialogue between the generals and Aung San Suu Kyi has been grasped by a people hungry for change.
But after eight months and no visible progress, there are fears here that the talks may be grinding to a halt. That prompted the military regime to break its silence this week at a gathering in Burma of ministers from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
The regime insisted the talks were going well.
"The question of... this process being stalled is not correct, it's not stalled. And we hope that this process, which is very much complex and delicate, should be... discussed right now," Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung told the meeting.
Burma now lags decades behind its neighbours. Its hard-pressed people desperately need an end to the deadlock between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military. For them the pace of political change is painfully slow.
Burma's rulers though, are in no hurry to see an end to their control over the country. The road to a better future for its people could still be a very long one.
There is growing concern in Burma that talks between the military authorities and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi have stalled.
The dialogue, which started nearly seven months ago, has been taking place in complete secrecy.
Neither side had said anything publicly until earlier this week when Burma's Foreign Minister, Win Aung, told journalists in Rangoon that the process was not just a publicity stunt and was progressing according to plan.
Both sides have also refrained from criticising each other. But, according to senior opposition sources, there have been no direct talks between the two sides for more than two months.
Two-month silence
Although the Burmese foreign minister said dialogue was progressing well, diplomats in Rangoon fear the process is in fact in danger of complete collapse.
They believe the UN special envoy, senior Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail, needs to return to Rangoon immediately to help revive them.
Mr Razali told the BBC that he was keen to return to Rangoon and was working on a date with the military authorities.
But while Mr Razali remains hopeful, the Burmese Government so far has has not agreed to a new visit.
And privately they have told diplomats that it's not likely to happen in May.
Opposition sources believe this is probably because the generals are not anxious to have their public relations advantage dented.
Mr Razali is one of the few people who has access to the opposition leader and is able to assess the state of the talks.
Frustration
Senior leaders in the National League for Democracy believe Aung San Suu Kyi is increasing frustrated by the lack of progress being made, including the failure of the military authorities to keep several promises such as releasing more political prisoners.
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They also believe that Aung San Suu Kyi now wants all restrictions on her movement lifted. She accepted them initially when the talks were at a confidence-building stage.
Now that they have stalled, say NLD leaders, only the military authorities benefit from her continued detention.
The international community is also increasingly anxious to see some concrete results from the talks.
So far the Burmese generals have been complimented for starting the dialogue process, and although the international community wants to encourage it they may soon run out of patience.
The International Labour Organisation will review Burma's use of forced labour at its annual general meeting in Geneva next month.
And the generals will certainly have to provide concrete evidence of change if they are to avoid another stronger censure being passed at that meeting.
The United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, will visit Burma again next week.
Diplomats in Rangoon said he would meet the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of the military junta.
The Malaysian diplomat, who has only been in this job for a little over a year, helped broker talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's generals.
These talks have been held in complete secrecy, with both sides refusing to reveal details of the dialogue.
But there have been fears recently that these talks had stalled.
As a result there has been growing demands from both the opposition and the international community for Burma's generals to allow Mr Razali to return to Rangoon to help the dialogue process progress.
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Talks stalled
Senior opposition sources told the BBC that Aung San Suu Kyi had been urging the envoy to come to Burma to help restart talks between her and the generals.
Last month the Burmese foreign minister Win Aung denied that the talks had stalled and that they were merely a publicity stunt.
According to NLD sources, contact between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military authorities resumed last week after more than two months.
For several months now the Burmese military has refused to allow the UN envoy to visit, although Mr Razali insists that he was just waiting for arrangements to made.
Back on track
Analysts believe that Mr Razali's forthcoming trip to Burma is evidence that talks may be back on track.
There has clearly been a softening within the military over the last month.
Apart from Mr Razali's visit, the ILO made an unpublicised trip to Burma last week to work out an accord with the Burmese government on monitoring the eradication of forced labour in the country.
Details of the agreement will be revealed at the ILO meeting in Geneva next month.
Diplomats in Rangoon believe the military junta is worried about the ILO taking an even tougher stance against them this year and hoped these two visits might deflect public criticism of the military regime's human rights record.
But there are signs that the Burmese military are realising that the only way to end their international isolation is to accommodate Aung San Suu Kyi.
At the moment both the government and the opposition leader have agreed to keep the content of their talks confidential.
A United Nations special envoy has begun a fresh attempt to inject impetus into talks between Burma's military rulers and the opposition.
The envoy, Razali Ismail, was met on arrival in the capital Rangoon by Foreign Minister Win Aung at the start of a visit which will end on Monday.
During the visit he will hold talks with other members of the military government and the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Mr Razali is scheduled to meet one of the three main leaders in the regime, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, on Saturday.
He will also meet with representatives of ethnic minorities, according to his official programme.
It is not yet clear when he will meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been holding closed-door negotiations with junta leaders while being kept under virtual house arrest.
Secret talks
This is Mr Razali's fourth visit since his appointment as the UN special envoy to Burma last April, to mediate between the junta and Aung San Suu Kyi.
After a visit in January, he broke the news that the junta and the opposition had been holding secret talks since last October.
His latest visit has assumed greater significance in the light of reports by diplomats that the talks were not showing any progress.
A BBC correspondent in the region says that because nothing concrete appears to have emerged after seven months, there is growing international concern that the military leadership is using the talks to deflect criticism of their rule.
Both parties have agreed to keep the content of the dialogue confidential.
Last month the government denied that the talks were stalled and Foreign Minister Win Aung said the negotiations were not merely a "publicity stunt" to appease the West.
House arrest
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Until October, the junta had consistently refused to negotiate with the opposition if Aung San Suu Kyi took part.
The change of heart is believed to have been brought about by Mr Razali, a Malaysian, as well as Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.
The junta has come under widespread criticism, mainly by the West, for refusing to hand over power to Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, which won the 1990 general elections.
Instead, NLD members have been subjected to harassment and arrests.
Its leader has lived under virtual house arrest since 22 September, when she tried to defy a long-standing travel ban.
The talks between Burma's military rulers and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are in the process of resuming.
US Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Ralph Boyce told journalists in Bangkok that the talks should yield concrete results soon.
There had been growing speculation since the United Nations Burma envoy completed his mission to Rangoon earlier this week that the talks which he helped broker last year were about to restart.
The UN remains optimistic that the dialogue process between Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese generals is about to enter a new phase.
Political prisoners
According to UN sources in New York, Aung San Suu Kyi has told the Burmese generals that they should start to release political prisoners, and remove the restrictions on her and the rest of the National League for Democracy.
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The UN believes this would be a concrete gesture which needs to happen before the end of June if the dialogue process is to move forward.
The talks have been held in secret with no details of the discussions being made public.
But diplomatic sources in Rangoon say the talks have not yet gone beyond what they described as the confidence-building stage.
It is also clear now that the process has been stalled for several months.
Prisoners
The UN hopes that it can help the dialogue through the intervention of its envoy - Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail.
He has just completed a visit to Rangoon where he acted as a facilitator and is expected to return again in July.
The hope now is that the two sides will resume a meaningful dialogue.
Diplomats in Rangoon say it is now up to the military to respond to the request to release the political prisoners. There are some 200 of them.
Senior opposition sources told the BBC that the military have been urged to release them in stages, starting with those who are elderly (over 60 years) or ill, followed by those who have already completed their sentences.
The military have also been asked to remove the restrictions on the movement of all senior NLD leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi and her deputy Tin Oo, and to allow the party's offices to reopen throughout the country.
The talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese generals are currently at a very precarious stage and only a good-will gesture from the military can help keep them on track.
Burma's military authorities have released eight opposition figures from prison, bringing the number of political prisoners released in the last two days to nine.
Sources in Rangoon believe this is a sign that talks between the military and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are beginning to make headway.
There had been fears that the talks had stalled, but a visit by the UN special envoy, Razali Ismail earlier this month seems to have broken the deadlock.
The issue of political prisoners has been at the heart of the dialogue process between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's generals which started last October.
The opposition leader has continually asked the military authorities to release political prisoners as a gesture of good faith. This should have happened in January after the UN envoy's visit to Burma then.
The failure to release them was seen as a sign that the talks between the two sides had stalled.
Dialogue
But diplomatic sources in Rangoon say the military intelligence chief, Lt General Khin Nyunt visited Aung San Suu Kyi last Saturday evening, a clear sign that contact between the two sides has resumed.
Senior members of the National League for Democracy told the BBC that at least 18 local offices were about to be reopened. These are both clear signs that the dialogue process is back on track.
Before he left Rangoon last week, the UN envoy told Burma's military government that to resume the dialogue they must free some of the 200 political prisoners that the NLD were asking to be immediately released.
He also gave the Generals a letter from Aung San Suu Kyi in which she outlined the steps they should take as part of the dialogue process. These included the release of political prisoners, removing the restrictions on her and other senior opposition leaders and allowing the NLD to function normally.
She also wants other members of the NLD to be involved in the dialogue process. Diplomatic sources in Rangoon believe these
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measures would be progressively rolled out if the dialogue process was making progress.
If that is the case then more releases of political prisoners can be expected in the next week or so.
Burma's military authorities have released another five pro-democracy MPs from prison.
The military authorities said the five are all members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).
More than a dozen political prisoners were freed last week. These releases are seen as a sign that talks between Burma's military rulers and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which started last October, are beginning to make progress.
The NLD convincingly won the 1990 elections but have never been allowed to govern.
Secret talks
The talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military authorities have been held in strict secrecy, with neither side making any public comment on the details of the dialogue.
So analysts are always looking for signs that the talks are making progress. The military authorities' release of political prisoners is seen as one of those signs.
Sources in the military government have also hinted that more releases are likely in the next few weeks.
A senior opposition source told the BBC that more than half the NLD offices in Rangoon have also been allowed to reopen.
UN demands
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These measures were high on the list of demands the UN special envoy, Razali Ismail gave the generals earlier this month to prove that the talks were making progress.
The issue of political prisoners has been at the heart of the dialogue process between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's generals for sometime now. The opposition leader has continually asked the military authorities to release political prisoners as a gesture of good faith.
According to opposition sources, Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the generals to allow the NLD to function normally and wants the restrictions on her and other senior opposition leaders removed.
She also wants other members of the NLD to be involved in the dialogue process.
Confidence building
Diplomatic sources in Rangoon believe the release of prisoners is part of a confidence-building process.
They will be more inclined to believe the talks are making real progress when the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi are lifted.
Sources in Rangoon believe this may happen next month around the time the UN envoy is due to return to Rangoon
The United Nations has welcomed the decision by the Burmese military authorities to release from detention five opposition activists.
Twelve others had been released last week.
A UN spokesman said the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, hoped that the latest releases would prove a boost to ongoing talks between the military government and the leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi.
No news has been released on the progress of the talks, which started last year and have been conducted in secret.
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The NLD won elections in Burma in 1990, but has never been allowed to govern.
The BBC's regional analyst Larry Jagan says sources in the military government have hinted that more releases are likely in the next few weeks.
UN role
Earlier this month the UN special envoy Razali Ismail met Burma's military leaders and Aung San Suu Kyi.
His visit is thought to have broken the deadlock after fears that the talks had broken down.
Before he left Rangoon, Mr Razali told Burma's military government that to resume the dialogue they must free some of the 200 political prisoners that the NLD were asking to be immediately released.
However, diplomats will be more inclined to believe the talks are making real progress when the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi are lifted.
Sources in Rangoon believe this may happen in July around the time the UN envoy is due to return to Rangoon
Burma's government has released another nine opposition prisoners from detention, bringing the total freed this year to more than 120.
The nine were members of parliament for the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by the Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
No reason has been given for the releases. But they are believed to be the result of the secret dialogue, begun in August last year, between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's military leaders.
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Getting her party members released has been one of the key demands of Aung San Suu Kyi. The military now seems prepared to meet that demand.
Twenty three people have been freed this month from detention in government 'guest houses'.
It is believed that only around a dozen NLD members, detained during the military crackdown over the past three years, now remain in custody.
Branches reopen
The authorities have also allowed the party to reopen some of its local branches, closed down in 1998.
The next significant step for the military to take would be to ease the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi, who is confined to her home in Rangoon.
But beyond these gestures of goodwill, it is not clear whether the dialogue is making progress on substantive issues, in particular over any form of power sharing between the generals and the opposition.
Neither side will say anything about the talks, except to describe them as very delicate.
It is believed that a significant number of the military commanders who now rule Burma oppose making any concessions to the NLD.
They fear popular retribution if they relax their hold on power.
Burma's military government has released seven members of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
The politicians were released because of progress in recent talks between the ruling military and the NLD, a military government spokesman told the Reuters news agency.
The move brings the total number of opposition members released in recent weeks to 29.
The seven are the last of nearly 200 MPs who were detained three years ago when the party tried to convene a parliament, an official statement said.
However hundreds of other non-elected party members remain in prison
Analysts say the move is a sign that the authorities are easing restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi's party, which won general elections in 1990 but was not allowed to take power.
Good health
"The remaining seven NLD MPs staying at government guesthouses in Rangoon have left to return home to their families," said the spokesman.
The government refers to some of its places of detention as "guest houses".
The spokesman said all seven were in good health.
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Burmese authorities have released 27 NLD members and two members of an ethnic minority political party since the middle of June.
In recent weeks the government has also allowed the NLD to reopen a number of offices, including one in the centre of the capital, Rangoon.
Opposition sources say they believe all the NLD offices throughout the country will be operating normally by the end of the month.
Caution
Diplomats in Rangoon though are still cautious and fear that the military is only doing enough to deflect international criticism.
The true test of whether the talks are entering a new phase, they say, will be the release Aung San Suu Kyi and the other two members of the central executive, Tin U and Aung Shwe, who have been held under house arrest since last September.
This could happen in the next few weeks before the UN envoy Razali Ismail is due to return to Rangoon to facilitate further talks between the two sides.
The military government in Burma has freed a further 11 political prisoners, associated with the opposition National League for Democracy.
The releases came on the eve of Martyr's Day on Thursday, which marks the anniversary of the 1947 assassination of Aung San, the father of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
They have been welcomed as a sign of possible progress in continuing talks between the opposition and the government.
Among those freed were a prominent journalist, San San Nwe, and a noted writer and opposition member of parliament, Aung Khin Sint.
Many still imprisoned
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According to an official statement all 11 are "all in good health".
Their release brings the total number of activists freed from prison over the past week to 20, but human rights activists say there are still over 1,800 political prisoners in Burma.
"Most of those released today were arrested between 1996 and 1997 and have been detained at Insein prison and prisons in Thayet, Magwe Division in central Myanmar," an NLD official said on condition of anonymity.
Critical of government
San San Nwe is a former journalist and novelist who was sentenced in August 1994 to 10 years in prison.
He had allegedly given information to foreign journalists and diplomats "against or critical of the government in order to make foreign governments misunderstand the government".
The human rights group, Amnesty International, and other organisations say she suffered from ill health in detention.
The releases are the latest in a series of conciliatory moves by Burma's military junta since it started closed-door political negotiations late last year with Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the NLD and the country's most prominent dissident.
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has failed to appear at a national ceremony marking the assassination of her father.
It was the first time in six years the pro-democracy activist has not turned up at the Martyr's Day event in the Burmese capital, Rangoon.
Correspondents say Aung San Suu Kyi's absence could indicate that talks between the opposition and the military government are not going well.
Aung San Suu Kyi remained at her home and gave no explanation why she had not attended.
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'Her decision'
There was no indication the government barred her from going.
Aung San Suu Kyi is not formally under house arrest, but has stayed at her residence because of restrictions on her meetings and movements.
Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was represented at the ceremony by members of her National League for Democracy [NLD].
An NLD spokesman said: "This is her decision. She asked us to go there."
The party won elections in 1990, but Burma's ruling generals refused to let Aung San Suu Kyi take power.
The NLD has been in negotiations with the government since October 1990, but no information has been released as to their progress.
"We have to work very cautiously," the NLD's secretary, U Lwin, told the BBC's East Asia Today programme on Thursday.
Detainees released
Foreign diplomats who have had access to Aung San Suu Kyi said the talks appeared to have stalled earlier this year, but the NLD has nevertheless won some concessions.
The Burmese Government has released 151 NLD detainees and the party has been given permission to reopen 18 of its offices.
Eleven NLD activists, including four elected members of parliament and a prominent journalist, were released from jail on the eve of Martyr's Day.
The occasion commemorates the assassination in 1947 of Aung San, Burma's independence leader and its first prime minister.
The failure of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to attend the Martyr's Day ceremony commemorating the assassination of her father in 1947 is being seen as a clear sign that the dialogue process has stalled again.
Secret talks between the military authorities and the opposition leader have been going on for more than seven months.
But the talks appear to have produced few concrete results, despite the release of more than 150 political prisoners since January.
Both Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Generals are anxious not to be seen as the side which ended this fragile dialogue process.
Snub
Aung San Suu Kyi has clearly rebuffed the military authorities by not attending the Martyr's Day event although she sent a senior party representative in her place.
At the official ceremony, U Lwin said he was representing Aung San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy (NLD) on her instructions.
"It was her decision not to attend the ceremony," U Lwin told party members.
Opposition sources told the BBC that they believe she did not attend because the military authorities had not done enough to meet the minimum goodwill gestures she had requested in June through the UN envoy envoy for Burma, the Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail.
These include the release of political prisoners and the removal of restrictions on her and two other senior party leaders.
The military insist that they are working on building trust and have released many of the country's political prisoners. More than 50 have been released since the UN envoy's last visit to Burma at the beginning of June.
Key demand
Human rights groups estimate that there are still nearly 2,000 political prisoners still in Burmese jails.
But the opposition leader suggested to the military authorities that there are five categories of prisoners that should be released as soon as possible. According to diplomats in Rangoon, all of the top
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category - people being detained in government guesthouses without trial - have now been released.
They believe there are some 200 political prisoners who fall into the other categories that the opposition leader wants released before the end of July.
The most crucial demand though is probably the removal of the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and two other members of the NLD central executive, Tin U and Aung Shwe. They have been held under virtual house arrest since last September when they tried to leave Rangoon by train to attend a party meeting in Mandalay.
A senior opposition source said he thought the opposition leader was not prepared to go to the ceremony unless she was unconditionally released from house arrest.
According to a Burmese Government source, the generals were surprised by Aung San Suu Kyi's failure to attend Thursday's ceremony, particularly as they had released 11 political prisoners day before, including Dr Aung Khin Zint who is seen as a key member of the NLD and close to the opposition leader and the writer Nway Nway San.
They will also see this as a clear message to the international community that the talks have stalled again. So far the military have tried to take the maximum credit for the minimum concessions to the NLD.
As one western diplomat told the BBC: "The Burmese military leaders will only do as much as is necessary to deflect international criticism of their intransigence. They want to drag the process out as long as possible."
The Burmese military will now have to prove that they are really committed to the process of confidence-building - something they have already privately assured the opposition leader and the international community.
Already a return visit by the UN envoy is being delayed. Rangoon has told Dr Razali that he cannot come before the end of August now - having originally promised to allow him to visit later this month.
Although no one believes the talks have irretrievably broken down, most analysts believe they have stalled again. This may also be because the talks are on the verge of entering new phase.
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Only more concessions by the military can keep the talks from being derailed altogether.
Friday, 20 July, 2001, 16:42 GMT 17:42 UK Burmese government regrets no show
The Burmese military government has described as regrettable the decision by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi not to attend the annual ceremony marking her father's assassination.
In a statement the government said it had expected her to attend Thursday's ceremony as she had done in recent years, and said it regretted her absence but respected her decision.
Aung San Suu Kyi - who is under virtual house arrest in Rangoon - instead sent a delegation from her National League for Democracy (NLD), led by party secretary U Lwin.
Observers say the gesture fell short of a full snub to the military government, and appeared to be a protest against the travel restrictions imposed on her and other senior opposition leaders.
Secret talks
In a statement on Friday, a senior spokesman in military regime said: "Yes, we expected Aung San Suu Kyi to attend the Martyrs' Day ceremony.
"The nation regrets her absence and the government has nothing to say but to respect her decision."
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret talks with the military since October, which political observers say appear to be progressing slowly.
"She's sending messages about her own situation as much as anything else," one diplomat said. "And it was interesting the choice was to let the NLD be represented by people who were actually free to travel.
"I think she's making a point there."
Speculation that Aung San Suu Kyi's absence was a sign the talks had stalled was a "storm in a teacup," another diplomat said.
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Foreign diplomats who have had access to Aung San Suu Kyi said the talks appeared to have stalled earlier this year, but the NLD has nevertheless won some concessions.
The Burmese Government has released 151 NLD detainees and the party has been given permission to reopen 18 of its offices.
Eleven NLD activists, including four elected members of parliament and a prominent journalist, were released from jail on the eve of Martyr's Day.
The occasion commemorates the assassination in 1947 of Aung San, Burma's independence leader and its first prime minister.
The military government in Burma has released two opposition activists from detention, including a cousin of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The two people freed - Nge Ma Ma and her husband, Myint Swe - were sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1997 for attempting to smuggle a videotape of speeches by Aung San Suu Kyi out of the country.
The military has already released more than 150 detainees this year, in what correspondents say appears to be a sign of progress in negotiations between the regime and the democratic opposition.
However, human rights groups say the Burmese authorities still have at least 1,500 opposition activists in detention. The Japanese Foreign Minister, Makiko Tanaka, has meanwhile called for further releases during talks with her Burmese counterpart Win Aung, in Hanoi, where both have been attending a regional conference.
Japan decided earlier this year to resume aid to Burma following the resumption of talks between the government and opposition.
Burma's military rulers have freed another four opposition politicians.
They are all members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), and were elected to parliament in 1990 when Aung San Suu Kyi's party convincingly won the polls.
A spokesman for the NLD said the MPs had been in detention since 1996.
So far this year the military authorities have released more than 150 dissidents.
Secret talks
This follows secret talks between the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the Burmese generals.
The contacts, sponsored by the United Nations through its special envoy Razali Ismail, are aimed at paving the way for a full-scale dialogue of national reconciliation.
Although both sides refuse to discuss the details of the talks publicly, opposition sources have long said the release of political prisoners was part of the trust-building measures that had been agreed on by the two sides.
A senior NLD member told the BBC he thought the military authorities should now release all the remaining political prisoners.
Amnesty International estimates there are nearly 2,000 political prisoners still being held in Burma's jails. But at present the generals appear happy to drag the process out.
Diplomats in Rangoon believe the Burmese military authorities are releasing the political prisoners in drips-and-drabs in order to deflect international criticism of their human rights record, and are not ready to have the talks progress any further than the confidence-building stage.
Signs of Change
But there are other signs that the Burmese generals are trying to improve their international image.
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The Ministry of Information in Rangoon has announced plans to launch a new English-language television channel which will also be broadcast internationally.
Government sources told the BBC the new station will be piloted early in August and is intended to give an informed version of developments in Burma.
Initially it will only broadcast three hours of news programmes. But it in the future is expected to included a range of programmes including cultural performances and sport.
Burma's generals are always complaining about what it regards as biased reporting in the foreign media.
More releases expected
Analysts believe that the launch of the new television station indicates that Burma's military leaders are preparing for possible change in the country in the coming months.
Diplomats believe the next few weeks are going to crucial to the dialogue process. The next step, they say, must be the release of the three senior NLD leaders from house arrest, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
This may well happen later this month in time for the UN envoy's return to Rangoon at the end of August.
The Burmese military government has announced the lifting of restrictions on two senior leaders of the country's pro-democracy movement.
They are Aung Shwe, who's chairman of the National League for Democracy, and Tin Oo, the party's vice-chairman. Both men have been under virtual house arrest for almost a year.
The move comes just a day before the United Nations special envoy for Burma, Razali Ismail, arrives in Rangoon on his fifth visit to the country.
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Mr Razali is likely to meet both the generals and the head of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under restriction.
The UN envoy is believed to have helped initiate the talks between the two sides, which started nearly a year ago. So far there have been few concrete results from the talks.
But the release of two of the National League for Democracy's (NLD) most senior leaders on the eve of the envoy's visit has raised expectations that the dialogue process is about to enter a new phase.
Razali Ismail - who has only been acting as a go-between for about 18 months - seems to have convinced Burma's generals to make some significant concessions to Aung San Suu Kyi in an effort to keep the peace talks on track.
Nearly 200 political prisoners have been released since the beginning of the year and NLD local offices are being allowed to reopen.
'Real hope'
This latest gesture is being seen by diplomats in Rangoon as a clear sign that the military authorities are serious about the dialogue process.
Fears remain, however, that the military is only doing the minimum necessary to prevent the talks from collapsing.
But the international community is beginning to see real hope of democratic change in Burma in the near future.
Senior diplomats from Britain, the US and Japan, who have all made visits to Burma in the last few weeks and met both Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals, are convinced that the talks are about to enter a new phase.
Mr Razali's trip is well timed and should be a good indicator of what progress is actually being made.
The military, of course, are hoping to hear that the international community may be prepared to end the country's economic isolation, but that will only happen when the military makes more significant concessions than they have done so far.
Burmese opposition backs talks Burma's pro-democracy opposition has welcomed the lifting of restrictions on two of its top leaders, as a United Nations special envoy arrived to mediate peace talks.
The UN envoy, Razali Ismail, is in Rangoon on his fifth visit to the country, and will hold talks with members of the military government and the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
On Monday, the National League for Democracy released a statement saying Aung San Suu Kyi would continue to "strive for the realisation of democracy".
The NLD overwhelmingly won elections in 1990 but the military junta refused to give up power.
Aung San Suu Kyi has had various restrictions placed on her activities ever since, but for nearly a year she has been holding secret talks with the military, with Mr Razali as a go-between. One of her key demands is thought to be the release of political prisoners.
Nearly 200 political prisoners have been released since the beginning of the year and NLD local offices are being allowed to reopen.
Optimism
On Sunday the military government announced it was lifting the restrictions on NLD chairman Aung Shwe and the party's vice-chairman, Tin Oo. Both men have been under virtual house arrest since last September when they defied an informal travel ban.
After their release Aung Shwe and Tin Oo visited Aung San Suu Kyi at her home, where she remains confined for defying the same travel ban by trying to visit the northern city of Mandalay.
Tin Oo said she was "working hard for the success of the talks" and in Monday's statement the NLD executive committee said it was "totally supportive" of its leader.
"Aung San Suu Kyi expressed great satisfaction in seeing that Aung Shwe and Tin Oo and the rest of the members will now be able to be active in their party affairs," the statement said.
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Mr Razali, a Malaysian diplomat, is expected to meet Aung San Suu Kyi twice during his four-day visit. He will also meet military leader Than Shwe and the chief of military intelligence Khin Nyunt.
The talks have been deadlocked for some time, but our Burma correspondent says the release of the two leaders has raised expectations that the dialogue process is about to enter a new phase.
The talks between Burma's military leaders and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are about to enter a new phase after the UN envoy's latest mediation efforts.
While there is no official word from any of the parties involved, the UN's special envoy, Razali Ismail said the UN would issue a statement in due course.
Talks between the two sides began nearly a year ago and were initiated by the envoy's efforts. They have been held in secret with neither side revealing the substance of the talks.
Earlier this year many observers feared that they had stalled but Mr Razali's visit in June gave the dialogue process new impetus.
Since then more than 60 political prisoners have been released; the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) has been allowed to open many of its offices; and, most significantly, on the eve of Mr Razali's visit two other senior leaders of the NLD, Chairman Aung Shwe and Vice-Chairman Tin Oo were released.
Everyone is being tight-lipped about the talks. The Burmese official media have not even reported his visit. This is because the talks have reached a particularly sensitive stage say Rangoon-based analysts.
Air of expectation
But there is an air of expectation in Rangoon, according to western diplomats based there.
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Sources in the UN told the BBC that they expected further releases of political prisoners as a result of Mr Razali's current trip.
How many, and who, they say will reflect how serious Burma's generals are about the talks becoming more substantial.
At present the NLD says they are still at the confidence-building stage. They are anxious too for them to pick up pace.
"This can only happen if the military are prepared to release more political prisoners" a senior NLD member, U Lwin, told the BBC.
He said the party's leaders understood they couldn't all be released immediately, and had submitted a list of priority categories. "But the bottom-line," he said, "is the release of all political prisoners within an agreed time-framework."
Human rights groups believe there are more than 1,500 political prisoners in Burma's jails.
International assistance
The next stage must involve some discussion of international assistance to Burma. The international community has already begun to think along those lines.
The Europeans and Japanese want to encourage the talks, but are reluctant to take any action which might slow the pace of the talks.
Many observers still believe the military regime are only making the minimum concessions necessary in order to deflect international criticism of its conduct.
But the NLD has also begun to discuss the need to allow what it calls limited humanitarian assistance from the international community.
"The party's leaders are prepared to accept some aid international," U Lwin told the BBC, "for agreed programmes like health and education. However that can only be some time in the future when the military have met some agreed benchmarks," he said.
Gathering momentum?
The Burmese military leaders are aware that they have now ventured down a path which will gather its own momentum.
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Several government ministers have told visiting diplomats that they are serious about the talks and regard it as the last chance to save Burma.
However as yet that sentiment has not been turned into anything concrete.
Burma's military rulers have proposed a power sharing arrangement with the country's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Thai army officer has said, quoting a top Burma general.
But a spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy told the BBC he knew of no such proposal.
Thailand's Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyut made the claim following a visit to Thailand by Burma's military intelligence chief, Lt General Khin Nyunt.
"The talks are going well," he told journalists. "There may be good news soon."
But the NLD spokesman, U Lwin, told the BBC "there was in fact no dialogue process going on at present."
He added: "We are waiting for the military to make an offer."
U Lwin said the party was waiting for more releases of political prisoners and were very hopeful that this might happen in the near future.
Thai interests
The talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's military leaders are on the verge of a break-through, according to senior Thai military sources.
But it is in Thailand's interests to believe Khin Nyunt. The Thai Government has gone overboard in supporting the Burmese military government - with substantial aid packages for crop
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substitution programmes and promises of major economic co-operation in the future.
The government is keen to deflect opposition criticism of its policy of doing business with the junta as well as international criticism that is bound to follow.
General Chavalit told reporters that General Khin Nyunt told him that he saw Aung San Suu Kyi every two weeks.
"That's not the case" NLD spokesman U Lwin told the BBC. "He hasn't seen her for several months."
Thai military sources told the BBC that Khin Nyunt actually said they were seeing Aung San Suu Kyi through a channel of contacts rather than direct face-to-face meetings. U Lwin said that this was the case, and a military intelligence liaison officer was calling on Aung San Suu Kyi at least once a week.
Slow change
This is not the first time that General Chavalit has told journalists that there was about to be a political break-through in Burma. He told journalists something similar in July. He is known to be very close to Khin Nyunt.
Diplomats in Rangoon say the talks between the two sides are obviously at a crucial stage. Aung San Suu Kyi appears very confident, they say.
But the fact remains that no one is revealing what, if any, the substance of the talks are.
Aung San Suu Kyi has told diplomats and senior party members that she had promised the Generals not to discuss the details of the talks with anyone, and she was keeping to that even if the military were not keeping their part of the bargain.
The signs in Rangoon seem to indicate that the talks may be on a verge of a break-through of sorts, but according to senior NLD sources this means movement from talks about talks to something substantive.
"We must remain patient" U Lwin told the BBC.
This seems to also reflect the UN special envoy, Razali Ismail's view.
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"Change in Burma is imperceptible and will not be in the form of major milestones," he told the BBC.
For the moment everyone is advising patience.
"Although we don't know what, things are happening," said a diplomat who wanted to remain anonymous.
But the talks have been going on for nearly a year and there is growing impatience among pro-democracy supporters inside and outside Burma.
They want a clear indication that the talks are moving beyond the confidence-building stage and are becoming a substantive dialogue involving some kind of power-sharing proposals.
The leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, marks the first anniversary of her latest confinement by the military authorities in Rangoon today Saturday.
She was placed under virtual house arrest after attempting to travel outside the capital.
Senior members of her party were also detained.
The NLD won elections held in 1990 but the military never allowed it to govern, and the international community imposed economic isolation on Burma.
In the last year there have been talks between the ruling generals and Aung San Suu Kyi; she has met some of her party's leading members, as well as visiting diplomats and UN officials. More than 150 political prisoners have been released but some 1,500 remain in jail. Correspondents say these confidence building measures have yet to develop into a real political breakthough in Burma.
Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is marking the first anniversary of her confinement under house arrest in Rangoon.
Her movements were restricted after she attempted to travel outside the capital.
Senior members of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were also detained.
The NLD won elections held in 1990, but the military never allowed it to govern.
Talks
Aung San Suu Kyi is no stranger to confinement. She was originally put under house arrest in 1989 and spent six years there.
But this time it has been different. The country's military rulers have begun to talk to her. She is not actually meeting the senior generals, an NLD spokesman told the BBC, but there is regular contact between the two sides.
The talks are being held in secret and no one knows what is actually being discussed.
Diplomats in Rangoon say the talks are still at a confidence-building stage.
Since the dialogue process began, more than 200 political prisoners, including two senior NLD leaders, have been freed.
Human rights groups say there are more than 1,500 political prisoners in Burma's jails. The NLD spokesman told the BBC that all political prisoners had to be released if the talks were to move beyond this initial trust-building stage.
Meetings
Many critics believe the Burmese generals are not serious about political change, and have only entered the dialogue process in an effort to deflect international criticism and in the hope that it might also lessen their international isolation.
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In the past year Aung San Suu Kyi has been allowed to meet senior members of her party, senior diplomats and UN officials.
A Burmese Government spokesman says Aung San Suu Kyi is under voluntary confinement, but that is not how the NLD spokesman sees it. He told the BBC that Aung San Suu Kyi wanted all restrictions on her movement lifted immediately, including being able to travel outside Rangoon. Only then, say diplomats, will the dialogue process actually be making real progress.
A United Nations human rights envoy has arrived in Burma, as the military government released five jailed members of the opposition National League for Democracy.
A government statement made no link between the arrival of Paulo Sergio Pinheiro and the prisoner releases, which it called a goodwill gesture.
Mr Pinheiro is on a two-week visit during which he is expected to travel outside the capital, Rangoon, to assess civil and political rights in the country.
He is also expected to meet government officials and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
His visit comes just days after a team from the International Labour Organisation ended a three-week trip investigating reports of forced labour in Burma.
Mr Pinheiro became the first UN human rights rapporteur to go to Burma in five years when he visited in April.
On that occasion also he met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at her home but was not allowed leave the capital.
This time, according to the UN , Mr Pinheiro will visit a number of provinces over the next two weeks.
'Optimism'
Burma' military rulers have been repeatedly criticised for human rights abuses since they seized power in 1988. In 1990 the junta
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refused to honour the result of democratic elections widely believed to have been overwhelmingly won by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been held under virtual house arrest since last September.
But Mr Pinheiro has spoken of "cautious optimism" within Burma that the military are adopting a pragmatic approach on the issue of democracy.
A UN statement released at the weekend said: "This visit comes at a time when Myanmar [Burma] has been taking steps... towards an important dialogue both inside and outside of the country in the search for peace and national reconciliation.".
Aung San Suu Kyi could lose family homeA court in Burma has ruled that the estranged brother of the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has the theoretical right to inherit the family home in Rangoon.
The court threw out an application by the opposition leader to dismiss a claim for a share of the property by her brother, Aung San Oo.
He lives in the United States and had a previous petition to secure a half share in the family property dismissed by a Burmese court in January.
The lakeside property is said to be worth $2m.
Aung San Suu Kyi has lived there since she returned to Burma 13 years ago. Much of the time she has been under house arrest.
Correspondents say the case - which has been adjourned until 2 November - has put extra pressure on Aung San Suu Kyi at a time when she is taking part in secret talks with the ruling military government
The ruling military council in Burma has announced the retirement of five government ministers - a day after two senior generals were dismissed.
Official newspapers reported their departure, but gave no reasons for the move, and did not name any successors.
All five were army officers, but not members of the 17-man State Peace and Development Council which rules Burma.
Correspondents say the retirement of two deputy prime ministers (Rear Admiral Maung Maung Khin and Lieutenant General Tin Tun) had been expected.
The departure of the other three cabinet ministers- the Minister for Culture Win Sein, the Minister for Co-operatives Aung San, and the Minister for Immigration Saw Tun, came as a surprise.
Council anniversary
Foreign diplomats say there could be more cabinet changes in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of the creation of the Peace and Development Council on Thursday.
On Saturday, the official media said Lieutenant General Win Myint -seen as the fourth most powerful man in Burma - had been dismissed from his post.
Deputy Prime Minister Tin Hla, responsible for buying equipment for the armed forces, was also sacked.
No reasons for their dismissals were given, but according to AFP news agency, they were both given "termination notifications" - the severest expression of official disapproval.
Observers in Rangoon believe that allegations of corruption against the two generals may be the cause of their dismissal.
Both were heavily involved in military linked businesses, and corruption in known to be rife among the ruling elite.
The most sweeping previous reshuffle in the Burmese regime came in 1997, when four ministers were removed amid accusations of corruption.
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The armed forces have governed Burma since 1962, and the current regime has been in power since 1990, when the military rejected the results of elections won by the democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
They have been engaged in a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi for more than a year, but so far there are no indications that they are considering easing their grip on power.
Burma appears to be going through the biggest government shake-up in years.
Two top generals have been sacked. Five other ministers have been retired - only two of them voluntarily.
There have been constant reports of division within the army ever since Burma's military leaders started reconciliation talks with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi more than a year ago.
But there is certainly no evidence of a power struggle at the top of the military government.
Sources in Rangoon believe the head of state, General Than Shwe initiated the moves, and that there is no doubt that the other two members of the country's ruling triumvirate - the army chief and Defence Minister General Maung Aye and the military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt - fully supported it.
"The changes, in fact, show the unity and strength of the top three," said a western diplomat based in Rangoon. "They seem to have a tight grip on the government."
Corrruption
There is growing concern among Burma's top leaders that their South East Asian neighbours are getting increasingly annoyed at the country's problems with corruption. Several countries have raised it directly with General Than Shwe.
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"These two generals were sacked because their involvement in corruption was too blatant," one western diplomat told the BBC.
But most analysts are sceptical that these sackings will have any real impact on corruption.
The other sackings, however, appear to be more to do with government plans to revitalise the country's administration and root out the hard-liners who may be opposed to the government's reconciliation process with National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Many analysts believe the government will use the opportunity to promote several regional commanders.
Many of the regional commanders have been critical of the talks with Aung San Suu Kyi. There are also reports that some are unhappy with the government's attempts to stop the use of forced labour - something highlighted by a recent investigation by the International Labour Organisation.
The government shake-up certainly provides General Than Shwe with the opportunity to bring the most-resistant regional commanders to Rangoon and sever their connection with their soldiers. This would certainly help Rangoon re-establish control over the regional commanders.
Renewed efforts are underway in Burma to facilitate talks between the military government and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail arrived on Tuesday at the start of a week of meetings with both military, opposition and ethnic leaders.
Nearly 200 political prisoners have been released from jai since contacts between Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling generals started more than a year ago.
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But there has been growing concern amongst diplomats in Rangoon that the talks between the two sides have stalled and the generals are now just trying to spin the process out.
This is the Mr Razali's fourth visit to Burma this year and the hope is he can provide a further impetus to the dialogue process.
Each time he has visited Rangoon he has managed to re-invigorate the dialogue process. Sources close to the envoy believe this trip should also help move the process forward.
For the opposition, the main sticking point remains the release of political prisoners - international human rights organisations estimate there are more than 1,500 political prisoners still in jail.
Aid carrot
Mr Razali, according to UN sources, will try to encourage the military to speed up the release of these prisoners by offering the prospect of international aid.
Last time Mr Razali was in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi indicated her willingness to allow limited humanitarian assistance, provided it did not directly benefit the army. As a result many countries, particularly Japan and the European Union, have signalled their willingness to support a new international aid programme which is carefully monitored.
Mr Razali, according to UN sources, is keen to see aid resume and will be suggesting the way forward might be to set up a co-ordinator to oversee both non-government and international aid.
However, few outside the UN are optimistic that Mr Razali will be able to bring the two sides closer to substantive talks which might lead to the formation of a transition government in the near future.
In the 10 years since Burma's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the country has moved very little towards achieving the democratic change she has so steadfastly fought for.
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The military still run the country with an iron grip. There is no freedom of speech and the country's press is tightly controlled by the army. And the economy teeters on the brink of collapse.
But there are some significant changes. Ten years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi was under house arrest and unable to see anyone including her husband, the English academic Michael Aris or children. This is no longer the case.
At first she was allowed occasional visits by her husband and children. Then on 10 July 1995, she was released from house arrest, after being held there for almost six years.
She is once again under virtual house arrest, where she has been since 22 September 2000 after she tried to travel outside Rangoon.
The difference now is that she is allowed frequent visitors, including her sons.
Personal tragedy
But of course Aung San Suu Kyi also suffered a major personal tragedy during this time. Her husband died of cancer in March 1999.
The military authorities did offer to allow her to travel to the United Kingdom to see him on his deathbed.
But she refused for fear that the military government would not allow her back into the country.
She had not seen him for three years.
Ten years ago the Burmese army was still fighting bitter battles against the ethnic rebel groups which controlled much of the country's border areas.
Now all but a very few, particularly the Karen National Union, have signed ceasefire agreements with Rangoon, and the Burmese military now effectively controls the borders.
Burma was also facing growing international isolation 10 years ago, and apart from China had virtually no friends.
Rangoon increasingly relied on the Chinese for military hardware, training and trade - a increasingly close relationship that alarmed the rest of Asia.
New policy
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Since then the countries of the region have pursued a vigorous policy of engagement.
In July 1997 Burma was admitted to the south east Asian regional grouping, Asean, and India has developed close relations.
The rest of the international community is pondering reducing Burma's international isolation, provided their is substantial political reform in the near future.
And its on the political front that that little has changed. Ten years ago when Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel peace prize, university students demonstrated their support for democracy with small scale protests.
The authorities reacted by clearing the universities and sending the students home.
They remained shut for some time, and although the government says the country's universities and colleges opened last year - in effect are only partly opened for fear that students will take to the streets again.
Continuing struggle
But the political struggle goes on. Since her release from house arrest six years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a thorn in the military's side.
She continued to remind them that her party, the National League for Democracy has convincingly won the national elections held in May 1990.
The NLD has continued to demand that the military junta hand over power to a civilian administration.
The official press has vilified her. When she tried to travel outside Rangoon in July and August 1998, and again in August and September 2000 to visit her party members in regional centres she was forcibly restrained.
She left Burma's military leaders in doubt that she was not going to give up her fight to see democracy restored to Burma.
It was partly this continuous confrontation between the military and Aung San Suu Kyi, along with growing pressure from Burma's neighbours - especially Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and an escalating economic crisis which led Burma's Generals to feel that they had to find a way to accommodate the opposition leader.
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Dialogue
For more than a year now the military junta and Aung San Suu Kyi have engaged in what has become called a dialogue process.
"It's a process of confidence-building and a preliminary to actual talks," the NLD spokesman U Lwin told BBC.
It a process that has been facilitated by the UN envoy for Burma, the Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail.
He has made six visits to Rangoon in the past 18 months encouraging the two sides to talk to each other.
While the two sides have not had face-to-face discussions, although the intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt has meet Aung San Suu Kyi twice in the last 12 months, substantial progress has been made.
More than 200 political prisoners have been released. Many of the NLD's local offices have been allowed to open, and NLD members are now able to travel much more freely, even between regional offices and Rangoon.
"These may be only small measures," said a diplomat, "but they do indicate that the Burmese military leaders are prepared to make concessions to the Aung San Suu Kyi."
While Aung San Suu Kyi's uncompromising determination has helped her stand up to the Generals, it has not always endeared her to all her supporters.
'Too autocratic'
There have been some in the NLD over the last six years who felt she has too autocratic style of leadership and should have been more conciliatory towards the military much earlier.
She has of course dismissed these allegations saying that the military junta had declared war on the party and that centralised leadership was sometimes needed as a matter of survival.
On the face of it at least, Burma - 10 years after Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - has not changed much, and is no nearer having truly democratic institutions.
But in reality the situation has changed - "qualitative rather than quantitative" according to diplomats and frequent visitors to Burma.
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Ten years ago there was no prospect of political reform, now at least there is hope.
Amnesty International has called on Burma's military rulers to release Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, as other former laureates gathered to commemorate 100 years of the award.
It is 10 years on Saturday since Aung San Suu Kyi won the award, but she will not be joining other living laureates gathering in Oslo.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy convincingly won the elections held in May 1990, but the military junta failed to hand over power.
Since last October, the democracy leader has been holding secret United Nations-brokered talks with junta leaders, which have led to the release of nearly 200 political prisoners.
Amnesty is renewing its appeal for Aung San Suu Kyi to be allowed her freedom.
"On this occasion we renew our calls for her release, and for the release of hundreds of other prisoners of conscience," the London-based group said in a statement received in Bangkok.
Husband's death
Aung San Suu Kyi has not appeared in public since September 2000, when she was put under de facto house arrest for attempting to travel outside the capital Rangoon for a political meeting.
Her telephone has been disconnected, but she reportedly has access to a shortwave radio.
She has been detained at her lakeside home for much of the last 13 years, including the year she was awarded the Nobel Peace prize.
Her son Alexander Aris collected it on her behalf.
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Aung San Suu Kyi, 56, was unable to travel to the UK when her academic husband Michael Aris died of cancer in 1999, fearing the junta would not allow her back into Burma.
In a videotaped statement released last year, Aung San Suu Kyi said she remained optimistic.
"We are absolutely confident that democracy will come to Burma," she said. "It is important that we achieve our goal quickly because people suffer too much."
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has been holding a series of celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the peace prize, in the run-up to Monday's presentation of this year's award to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Other former prize winners due to attend include South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, and the Dalai Lama.
Nobel peace prize winners and politicians from around the world have paid tribute to the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and called for her release from house arrest.
They appealed to the military regime in Burma to release 56-year-old Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for much of the last 13 years, despite winning elections in 1990.
The event marks 10 years since Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the peace prize for her continued non-violent resistance to the junta.
"In physical stature she is petite and elegant, but in moral stature she is a giant," said the retired Anglican Archbishop from South Africa, Desmond Tutu.
"Big men are scared of her. Armed to the teeth and they still run scared," he said.
Empty seat
The laureates have come together for festivities celebrating 100 years of the peace prize.
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But Geir Lundestad, non-voting secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said they were all thinking of the empty chair that belonged to Aung San Suu Kyi.
In a letter, the laureates called on Than Swe, the head of the ruling regime, to release of other political prisoners in Burma and comply with UN resolutions demanding negotiations on democracy.
Messages of support came from around the world.
President George W Bush lauded Aung San Suu Kyi, addressing by satellite link a rally of hundreds assembled in the rain in front of the Norwegian parliament building.
"In the face of great hardship she has never wavered in her commitment to peaceful change," Mr Bush said, although he did not add his voice to calls to release other political prisoners.
Global support
The UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw urged the military leaders to use current talks with Aung San Suu Kyi as an opportunity to move the country towards democracy.
"Her strength has given hope to thousands of Burmese who have endured great hardship for holding firm to these beliefs," he said in London, in a statement that follows an appeal by the UK-based human rights charity Amnesty International earlier this week.
The event was one in more than 30 taking place around the world, including a peace concert held at Bangkok's Thammasat University where Thais joined Burmese immigrants in support of democracy in the neighbouring country.
The events took place amid reports that the NLD had reopened a key office in Kamayut township, near the University of Yangon, the scene of the 1998 pro-democracy uprising which was crushed by the junta.
Since last October, Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret United Nations-brokered talks with junta leaders, which have led to the release of nearly 200 political prisoners.
'Absolutely confident'
Aung San Suu Kyi has not appeared in public since September 2000, when she was put under de facto house arrest for attempting to travel outside the capital Rangoon for a political meeting.
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Her telephone has been disconnected, but she reportedly has access to a shortwave radio.
In a videotaped statement released last year, Aung San Suu Kyi said she remained optimistic.
"We are absolutely confident that democracy will come to Burma," she said. "It is important that we achieve our goal quickly because people suffer too much."
Ten years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for her efforts to bring democratic change to Burma.
At the time she was under house arrest.
Ten years after her award, Burma seems to have changed very little.
The country is still ruled by the Burmese army who tightly control almost every aspect of life.
Protests, demonstrations or public criticism of the regime is not allowed. Anyone who dares to challenge the army is thrown into jail.
Six years ago, Aung San Suu Kyi was officially released - but was not allowed to travel outside the capital Rangoon.
When she tried, she was forcibly returned to her home.
She's been a virtual prisoner there again for the last 15 months.
Although there's been little change politically, there have been significant developments.
Over the last 10 years the capital Rangoon has turned into a bustling city, with its own traffic jams.
Rebel ceasefires
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The generals of the army and some of the urban middle classes have managed to get wealthy.
But for most of the country's people, living standards have declined.
The United Nations estimates that two out of five children are suffering from malnutrition.
Ten years ago the Burmese army did not control most of the country's border areas - especially the borders with China and Thailand.
Now it has signed ceasefire agreements with all but one of the main ethnic rebel groups and taken full control of all of its borders.
Ten years ago Burma was almost totally isolated internationally, with China its only ally.
Aid hope
Now it's a member of the south east Asian regional grouping ASEAN, and the international community is pondering reducing Rangoon's isolation even further.
The United States, Europe and Japan are seriously considering resuming limited humanitarian aid to encourage the dialogue process between the Burmese generals and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Although there have been no substantive results from this process which started more than a year ago, at least the two sides are talking to each other.
Ten years ago there was no hope of political change, now there is a glimmer of hope.
Burma's military rulers have said they are committed to creating a "functioning democracy," but have ignored an international plea to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
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It is 10 years since Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel peace prize, and on Saturday, fellow laureates who were gathered in Oslo, called on the military junta to release her from house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide election in 1990, but the junta failed to hand over power.
Over the last year, she has been holding secret United Nations-brokered talks with junta leaders which have raised hopes of a breakthrough.
The negotiations have led to the release of nearly 200 political prisoners, but an estimated 1,500 remain in detention.
'Winning side'
On Monday, the generals said they were working with Aung San Suu Kyi to find a political settlement.
"Today, we are all in the process of joining hands, walking on the same path toward our common objective," said a statement, which was dated Sunday.
The statement directly replied to comments in Oslo by South African retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who said Aung San Suu Kyi was on the winning side of the conflict.
"The government of Myanmar [Burma] warmly appreciates the opinions, concerns and interest of its partners in the international community and believes that all of us are on the winning side already since we all have the common objective of creating Myanmar to become a functioning democracy," the statement said.
"But regretfully in the past due to misunderstanding between the NLD party and the government of Myanmar, cooperation did not exist."
Aung San Suu Kyi has not appeared in public since September 2000, when she was put under de facto house arrest for attempting to travel outside the capital Rangoon for a political meeting.
Nobel laureates, in Oslo on Saturday to celebrate 100 years of the peace prize, paid tribute to Aung San Suu Kyi and called for her release.
Messages of support came from around the world, including US President George Bush.
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"In the face of great hardship she has never wavered in her commitment to peaceful change," Mr Bush said.
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has cautioned that dialogue with the country's military rulers has yet to start in full.
Her comments were reported following a statement by the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) saying it was committed to creating a "functioning democracy".
They also came as her National League for Democracy (NLD) said talks with the military must start yielding more tangible results.
Over the last year, Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret United Nations-brokered talks with junta leaders which have raised hopes of a breakthrough.
The 1991 Nobel Peace laureate was again placed under house arrest in September 2000, 10 years after the NLD won a landslide election that the military refused to recognise.
Despite the recent contacts between the two sides, Aung San Suu Kyi stressed that the process of national reconciliation had barely begun.
Mutual mistrust
"It is not that dialogue has begun," she was quoted by Japan's Jiji Press news agency as telling former Japanese Foreign Minister Kabun Muto.
"It is a period in which both sides are attempting to erase mutual mistrust," Mr Muto quoted her as saying.
According to the Jiji report - monitored by the AFP news agency - Mr Muto met Aung San Suu Kyi at her home in Rangoon on 4 December.
The statement from the generals, released on Monday, said they were working with Aung San Suu Kyi to find a political settlement.
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"Today, we are all in the process of joining hands, walking on the same path toward our common objective," it said.
Negotiations so far have led to the release of nearly 200 political prisoners, but an estimated 1,500 remain in detention.
The NLD said on Monday that any further delays in moving towards democracy could lead to "undesirable negative effects".
"It is now necessary to develop, step by step, the confidence building talks between the SPDC and NLD into meaningful dialogues," it said in a statement carried by the Reuters news agency.
The statement was released to mark Burma's National Day.
Nobel pressure
The junta's statement directly replied to comments in Oslo by South African retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who said Aung San Suu Kyi was on the winning side of the conflict.
Nobel laureates, who had gathered to celebrate 100 years of the peace prize, paid tribute to Aung San Suu Kyi and called for her release.
The junta has so far ignored the global chorus calling for her release.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin has toured the most important religious site in Burma after sealing fresh agreements to support the military state.
His visit to the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon came on the second day of his official visit.
Foreign Minister Win Aung escorted President Jiang and his wife Wang Yeping around the predominantly Buddhist country's most important religious site.
It is the first trip by a Chinese head of state to Burma since the military leadership seized power in 1988.
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He has signed seven agreements with the Burmese leader, Senior General Than Shwe, including one on cooperation in border areas.
Cooperation amid tensions
President Jiang said efforts would be made to promote cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure development and human resources.
China says it has invested $100m in 12 projects in Burma and is currently discussing a further $60m worth of investment schemes.
President Jiang was given a lavish red-carpet welcome on arrival for his three-day trip on Wednesday.
The visit comes after a decade of cooperation between the two states but also amid some tension over drug-trafficking and Burma's military links with India.
Burma relies heavily on China for arms and investments.
But a BBC correspondent says that although the two countries have been close allies for more than a decade, there has been growing friction between them recently.
He says China is likely to demand that Burma do more to stamp out the cross-border drugs trade.
International pressure
The visit comes as Burma faces increased international pressure from leaders and human rights groups to release from house arrest pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The 1991 Nobel Peace laureate was placed under house arrest in September 2000, 10 years after her National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide election that the military refused to recognise.
Over the last year, Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secretive United Nations-brokered talks with junta leaders which have raised hopes of a breakthrough.
However in comments reportedly made to former Japanese Foreign Minister Kabun Muto, Aung San Suu Kyi cautioned that dialogue had yet to start in full.
Her comments were reported following a statement by Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council saying it was committed to creating a "functioning democracy".
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But the NLD has said talks must start yielding more tangible results.
Friday, 4 January, 2002, 10:32 GMT Burma's opposition breaks silence
Thousands watched official Independence Day eventsBurma's pro-democracy movement has issued its most strongly-worded criticism of the military government since secret talks began between the two sides more than a year ago.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) used the occasion of the national Independence Day celebrations to demand a speedy transition to democracy and the release of its leader, Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been held under house arrest since September 2000 after confronting the authorities over restrictions on her movements.
Burma's military leaders marked Independence Day by staging colourful ceremonies in Rangoon but failed to mention the pro-democracy movement or Aung San Suu Kyi.
There had been speculation among the diplomatic community in the capital, Rangoon, that the authorities might take the opportunity to make a conciliatory gesture to the NLD.
Over the last 14 months there has been hope of political progress as the two sides held a series of secret talks.
During this period they have been observing an informal truce, with the state-run media halting their vitriolic attacks on Aung San Suu Kyi, while the NLD refrained from criticism of the government.
The new NLD demands were made at a gathering of 500 supporters at the party's headquarters in Rangoon.
"The country is facing political, economic and social hardship but we believe that that political problems could be resolved through political means," said NLD chairman Aung Shwe.
Analysts said his comments reflected frustration over the slow progress of the talks.
Although there have been few tangible results, about 200 political prisoners have been released and the government has allowed greater access to visiting United Nations envoys.
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But correspondents say government officials warned them not to expect anything unusual on Friday.
Spectacle
More than 10,000 people watched dancers and marching bands parade in the shadow of Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda.
After a flag-raising ceremony they heard a message from the junta's leader General Than Shwe, which stressed the themes of national unity and patriotism.
"National solidarity is important for Myanmar [Burma] which is home to various national races," the message said.
"The main factor that forges national unity is the 'union spirit' which is based on patriotism."
The NLD won elections held in May 1990, but the military junta failed to hand over power.
Burma gained independence from Britain on 4 January 1948 after more than 120 years of colonial rule. The military has been in power since staging a coup in 1962.
The military government in Burma has freed a relative of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi and four members of her National League for Democracy (NLD).
The release of Cho Aung Than, the cousin and liaison officer of Aung San Suu Kyi, is seen as a significant conciliatory gesture by the military authorities.
He was arrested in June 1997 and given a seven-year sentence under an emergency law and a three-year sentence under a law banning unlawful association.
More than 200 political prisoners have been released since Aung San Suu Kyi began secret reconciliation talks with the military government in October 2000.
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But last week, the NLD demanded the start of a meaningful political dialogue, signalling increasing frustration with the slow pace of progress.
Burma's Foreign Minister has said the called for patience in the reconciliation process, as the military government freed five opposition members, including a cousin of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The minister, Win Aung, told the BBC the prisoner releases were proof that the process was continuing.
He said the military government would like to free all political prisoners, and the time would come for Aung San Suu Kyi to be released from house arrest.
Win Aung also called for understanding, saying that the military government did not want to be pushed from behind.
The release of Cho Aung Than, the cousin and liaison officer of Aung San Suu Kyi, is seen as a significant conciliatory gesture by the military authorities.
He was arrested in June 1997 and given a seven-year sentence under an emergency law, and a three-year sentence under a law banning unlawful association.
Secret talks
The government says 207 political prisoners have been released since Aung San Suu Kyi began secret reconciliation talks with the military government in October 2000.
The NLD says more than 800 of its members remain in custody although the government disputes the figure.
Neither side has made public the content of the talks. But on Independence Day last week, the NLD demanded the start of a meaningful political dialogue, signalling increasing frustration with the slow pace of progress.
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Win Aung said on Wednesday the opposition had their view but said the government was neither backtracking nor sidetracking.
But he said it was difficult to demonstrate results.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been held under house arrest since September 2000 after confronting the authorities over restrictions on her movements.
The NLD won a general election in 1990 that the military refused to recognise.
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has secretly met one of Burma's senior leaders.
According to diplomatic sources in Rangoon, Aung San Suu Kyi may even have met the country's head of state, General Than Shwe.
It appears to be the first meeting with a senior general for some time and is being seen as a sign that the dialogue process may be on the verge of a significant break-through.
The meeting has again raised hopes that she may be released from house arrest in the very near future - at least before the next visit of the United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, currently scheduled for early March.
The Burmese military government has been in secret talks with the opposition leader, who is under house arrest, for more than a year.
However in recent weeks there had been growing fears that the dialogue process had stalled again.
Significant meeting
Diplomats in the Burmese capital Rangoon are certain that Aung San Suu Kyi secretly met either General Than Shwe or Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt when she left her compound last week.
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The opposition leader has seldom been permitted to leave her residence, although she has been allowed a string of visitors, since she was placed under house again 18 months ago.
Diplomats say it would have to have been a significant meeting for the opposition leader to come out of her home. She did not even attend the Martyr's Day ceremony last year which marks her father's assassination.
Despite more than a year of contact between Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese military leaders - mainly through a military intelligence liaison officer - there have been few tangible results from the dialogue process, which has been brokered by Mr Razali.
More than 200 political prisoners have been released - but as international human rights groups point out, there are still more than 1,500 political prisoners in Burma's jails.
Many diplomats in Rangoon fear the generals have been dragging the process out with little intention of discussing real political reform.
Pace of change
The UN envoy though has been urging the military regime to step up the dialogue process. For this to happen, the two sides would have to start taking about substantive issues.
The main obstacle to that remains the pace of the release of political prisoners and the lifting of the restrictions on the opposition leader herself. Mr Razali has told the generals that Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest was a necessary pre-requisite for the dialogue process to progress.
As the talks between the two sides are being conducted in strict secrecy, it is impossible to know what was discussed at last week's meeting. But the issue of political prisoners must have been high on the agenda.
Aung San Suu Kyi has insisted all along that the remaining elected members of parliament would have to be freed before she would consider being released herself.
UN sources say Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals had been considering a proposal that would allow the opposition leader to be freed, but with some continued restrictions - at least temporarily.
Burma's military junta is under increased international pressure to step up its dialogue with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Both the US Government and the United Nations envoy, who brokered talks between the generals and the opposition leader, are warning Rangoon that they are growing impatient at the lack of progress.
These calls come just as there is increased speculation in Rangoon that the military authorities may release Aung San Su Kyi from house arrest within weeks.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since September 2000.
Her National League for Democracy party won an overwhelming election victory in 1990 that was never recognised by the junta.
Growing impatience
In its latest report to Congress, the US Government says it is time for the talks to move from the confidence-building stage to what it calls "genuine political dialogue... aimed at returning the country to democracy and civilian rule."
Washington's comments reflect a growing concern internationally that the Burmese generals are dragging their feet and are not really prepared to talk about substantive political change.
The UN envoy, Razali Ismail is also beginning to get impatient.
"It's moving but the talks are not going as fast as they should," he said in Kuala Lumpur.
Prisoner release
Mr Razali has consistently told the BBC that the dialogue process was a difficult one and not to expect major events or milestones.
His uncharacteristic outburst may be an attempt to put pressure on the Burmese junta to move the process forward before he arrives on his next visit in March.
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"The UN envoy left Burma's military leaders in no doubt that he expected them to move the reconciliation process from the confidence-building stage to substantive dialogue," said a source close to the Mr Razali.
"Everyone knows what steps need to be taken."
Those steps must include the immediate release of the remaining elected MPs and freeing the opposition leader from house arrest.
Diplomats in Rangoon believe these were the two main issues which were discussed when Aung San Suu Kyi met General Than Shwe two weeks ago
That meeting was seen as a sign that the dialogue process may be on the verge of a breakthrough.
That is certainly what the UN human rights rapporteur for Burma, Professor Paulo Pinheiro will be concentrating on during his current fact-finding mission.
UN sources say Mr Pinheiro will be pressing the Burmese junta on the issue of political prisoners as part of the international community's efforts to bring about democratic reform in Burma.
The military authorities in Burma have freed five more pro-democracy figures, and spoken of imminent success in their dialogue with opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
A government statement said the ongoing process of reconciliation was slow, but steady.
The developments come amid mounting international pressure on the military authorities, with a US government report raising the possibility that sanctions might be lifted if talks with Aung San Suu Kyi produce tangible results.
The releases come as the United Nations human rights envoy, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, tours the northern state of Kachin.
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The Burmese Government says it has released more than 200 opposition members since it started talks with Aung San Suu Kyi in October 2000.
The United Nations human rights envoy, Paulo Sergio Pinherio, has met the Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside residence.
She has been detained under house arrest for more than a year.
No details of their talks have been released.
The meeting came as the military authorities released another six political prisoners.
Last week they freed five others as a goodwill gesture marking Mr Pinheiro's third mission to Burma.
Meanwhile, the International Labour Organisation says its sending a team to Burma - due to arrive on Tuesday - to check whether the government had put an end to the practice of forced labour.
The ILO mission will be lobbying for the establishment of a permanent office to monitor the situation. After a visit last year, ILO officials concluded that forced labour still exists, especially within army projects.
Officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) say they have been prevented from seeing Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Rangoon.
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They said police refused to let them through a checkpoint blocking the road to the house.
The two officials were at the end of a week-long visit to Burma to check whether the government had put an end to the practice of forced labour.
A senior ILO official, Kari Tapiola, said on Sunday there was still no evidence the Burmese military government was willing to accept assistance to end forced labour.
A spokesman for the ILO in Geneva said the terms of the visit required officials to be allowed freedom of movement and access to leading political figures.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been held under virtual house arrest since September 2000.
For much of that time, the government has been involved in secret talks with Ms Suu Kyi and her opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).
More than 200 political prisoners have been released by the government, but there are estimated to be more than 1,500 still in jail.
Security mix up
The head of the ILO delegation, Francis Maupain said he was "very disappointed" not to have been allowed to see Aung San Suu Kyi.
Policemen refused to lift a barrier as cars carrying Mr Maupain and ILO secretary Richard Horsey approached her lakeside home.
NLD secretary U Lwin said there seemed to have been a mix up over security clearance.
"Security said they wanted to allow the ILO team through the checkpoint but without proper clearance they couldn't do it, " he said.
The Burmese military government says it has released from detention another five members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).
The move follows a recent visit by the United Nations human rights envoy, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, who urged the authorities to release all political prisoners, and to speed up the process.
On Thursday, 68 women detained for what the authorities described as various criminal offences were freed.
More than 200 opposition members are now reported to have been released since the Burmese Government began talks on national reconciliation with the NLD leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in October 2000.
The NLD says that about 800 of its activists are still in prison.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990, but the military prevented it from taking power.
Visit blocked
Earlier this week, officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said they had been prevented from seeing Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Rangoon.
They said police refused to let them through a checkpoint blocking the road to the house.
The two officials were at the end of a week-long visit to Burma to check whether the government had put an end to the practice of forced labour.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been held under virtual house arrest since September 2000.
For much of that time, the government has been involved in secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition National League for Democracy.
The military government in Burma has released 28 pregnant women from jail on humanitarian grounds.
The women, in prison for various offences, were the second batch of pregnant women to be freed - 68 were released last week.
The move was apparently timed to coincide with the consecration of a giant new stone Buddha in Rangoon.
Buddhist tradition holds that merits for the next life can be gained by such gestures.
Also last week, five political prisoners were released from detention - all members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).
It followed a recent visit by the United Nations human rights envoy, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, who urged the authorities to release all political prisoners, and to speed up the process.
Secret talks
The BBC Burmese affairs analyst says the releases could be seen as a move by Rangoon to engage the UN and set a precedent for future political releases.
More than 200 opposition members are reported to have been released since the Burmese Government began talks on national reconciliation with the NLD leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in October 2000.
Speaking after last week's releases, the United Nations special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail said: "The fact that they released people in big numbers is a change from the earlier releases, which were a handful of people.
"I hope in the weeks ahead there will be more releases and I hope soon that Aung San Suu Kyi herself will be out of the custody of her house."
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest in Rangoon since September 2000. The NLD says about 800 of its activists are still in prison.
The NLD won Burma's last democratic elections in 1990, but the military prevented it from taking power.
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Burmese military officials told the BBC that there would be no umbrella release of political prisoners, but that they are considering freeing activists in batches of up to 200 at a time.
Diplomats in Rangoon the question of whether Aung San Suu Kyi might be released is independent of the issue of political prisoners.
BBC Burma analyst Larry Jagan says there is growing speculation in Rangoon that Aung San Suu Kyi may be released soon, perhaps before the end of next month's Water Festival.
Burma reveals 'coup plot' Burma's ruling military has been giving details of what it says was a coup attempt by four relatives of the former military dictator, Ne Win.
A military official, Kyaw Win, said the four were planning to abduct Burma's top three leaders and take them to Ne Win's house, where they would be pressured to agree to form a new government.
Those who refused were to be detained at the house, he said.
Kyaw Win said the family had tried to enlist elements in the military, and he confirmed the sacking of four top military figures.
He attributed the plot to resentment at economic and political changes, but he said the developments would not derail talks with the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Some observers have speculated that the purge could be part of a power struggle within the military over how to handle Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been in closed-door reconciliation talks with Burma's military leaders since October 2000.
'Puppet government'
Aung San Suu Kyi - who is under house arrest in Rangoon - led her National League for Democracy to sweeping election victory in 1990. However, the military refused to hand over power.
The government said the alleged coup plot was masterminded by Ne Win's son-in-law Aye Zaw Win and three of Aye Zaw Win's sons. They were arrested last Thursday at a Chinese restaurant where
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they were said to have been meeting an unnamed military commander.
"They did not intend to rule the country themselves but to form a puppet government under the influence of Ne Win," Kyaw Win told reporters.
The government confirmed that four senior military officials had been sacked and were being questioned about the coup plot.
They are air force chief Major General Myint Swe, police chief Major General Soe Win, and regional commanders Brigadier General Chit Than and Major General Aye Kywe.
Some Western diplomats in Rangoon have said the coup claims are far fetched and that the real reason for the military purge was an internal power struggle.
Ne Win - now in his 90s - seized control of Burma in 1962 and continued to wield influence after he stepped down in 1988.
A European Union delegation visiting Burma is due to meet the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
She has been under house arrest for the last 18 months.
On Thursday, the EU delegation held talks with Burma's military government at the start of a three-day mission designed to encourage political reconciliation.
The visit comes just days after the government said it had foiled a coup plotted by the family of the former military ruler, Ne Win.
Both the government and the opposition have said the coup attempt will not disrupt peace efforts. It is the third EU mission since 1999 aimed at helping to end the deadlock between the Burmese military authorities and the opposition National League for Democracy.
Friday, 15 March, 2002, 11:21 GMT Rumours fly around EU Burma visit
A high-level European Union delegation visiting Burma has met members of the pro-democracy opposition amid continuing rumours of a power struggle in the military government.
The EU team, which is expected to meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi later on Friday, is in Burma to encourage the government to make democratic reforms.
But correspondents say speculation of a power struggle among the senior generals over how to deal with the opposition is rife in the capital Rangoon.
The rumours are being fuelled by the announcement just days before the EU delegation arrived that the government had foiled a coup plotted by the family of the former military ruler, Ne Win.
General 'unavailable'
Observers say the allegations and arrests of members of Ne Win's family may indicate disagreements over the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).
Military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, who favours dialogue with the NLD, was reportedly not available for a scheduled meeting with the EU diplomats on Thursday.
Khin Nyunt is thought to be opposed by army chief General Maung Aye, whose supporters are against making any concessions to Aung San Suu Kyi. She has been confined by the authorities to her Rangoon home since September 2000.
Burma analyst Larry Jagan says Khin Nyunt and Maung Aye, along with head of state General Than Shwe make up a political triumvirate that wields complete power in Burma.
The government has been in closed-door reconciliation talks with Aung San Suu Kyi since October 2000, and both sides have indicated they do not expect the alleged coup plot to derail their dialogue.
Coup arrests
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The government said the alleged coup plot was masterminded by Ne Win's son-in-law Aye Zaw Win and three of Aye Zaw Win's sons.
They were arrested last Thursday at a Chinese restaurant where they were said to have been meeting an unnamed military commander.
Ne Win - now in his 90s - seized control of Burma in 1962 and continued to wield influence after he stepped down in 1988.
A planned visit to Burma by the United Nations envoy, Razali Ismail, has been postponed.
UN sources have confirmed the cancellation of the trip to Rangoon, which was due to start on Tuesday.
Mr Razali has been involved in talks between the Burmese government and the opposition leader, Aung san Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest.
So far neither the UN nor the Burmese military authorities are prepared to offer any reason for this change of plan.
However sources in Rangoon say it is because the junta was not able to guarantee that the envoy would be able to meet all the people he wanted to talk to on this visit.
Coup talk
UN sources insist that nothing sinister lies behind the generals' change of plan. Full access to Aung San Suu Kyi, was always part of the process, they say.
Diplomats in Rangoon though believe that the UN envoy's visit at this time, in the midst of coup plot allegations and purges within the military, would have made it hard for them to have concentrated on discussing political reform.
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Last year, when the country's fourth most powerful man in the government, General Tin Oo, was killed in a helicopter accident, it stalled the process.
Analysts do not believe that these recent arrests will de-rail the talks but the key issue will be how soon the UN envoy will be allowed to return to Burma. That is certainly not going to be till after Army Day on the 27 March.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the junta refused to hand over power.
The Burmese military regime has been in secret talks with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi for more than a year.
The talks are believed to have started in October 2000, a month after Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest after trying to travel out of Rangoon to Mandalay.
But it was only in January 2001 that the United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, was able to reveal that the talks had in fact got under way.
"The process is totally secret," he told the BBC. "And both sides have promised to keep the nature and details of the talks completely secret."
Both the generals and the opposition say they are committed to the talks. At the various meetings, ideas, priorities and concerns are exchanged.
It is all part of the confidence-building process before substantive talks can be launched.
More than 250 political prisoners have been released by the generals in the past year as a measure of trust-building with the opposition leader.
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But National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman U Lwin says more than 600 party members are still in jail, while international human rights groups say there are more than 1,300 political prisoners still incarcerated.
UN envoy's role
The talks between the two sides were brokered by the UN envoy. He has made six trips to Burma since his appointment in April 2000, every time renewing his appeal to move the dialogue forward.
His repeated message to the junta calls for:
The immediate and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi
The release of all political prisoners, especially the remaining 20 elected MPs
Allowing all political parties to operate freely Starting substantial talks on political issues, including
possible power sharing Reforming the economy
But the generals want some concessions in return. They are desperate to attract foreign investors and international aid.
Many analysts believe the growing economic crisis in the country has convinced them there is no alternative to political reform.
The international community has tried to encourage the dialogue process by promising to reward any significant step towards political change with humanitarian aid.
Japan, Australian and the European Union have all increased their financial commitment to UN programmes in Burma, with a clear understanding that this will be increased to match significant progress - but could just as easily be cut if there is any retreat from the process.
Time is running out for the regime with the international community losing patience with the slow pace of reform.
There are growing demands to isolate Rangoon further if there are not any concrete results from the talks soon.
Burma's opposition slowly rises from ashesBy Larry Jagan in Rangoon BBC regional analyst
Burma's democratic opposition is becoming a hub of activity, amid hope of a breakthrough in talks between its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the military regime.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) is trying to prepare the ground for it to function as a vibrant political party when Burma eventually gains full political freedom.
The party convincingly won the 1990 elections but the generals never allowed it to take power.
But since Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta started secretive talks more than 18 months, ago the NLD has been allowed to operate more freely.
Before then its members were harassed and their movements restricted. Now local NLD officials from provincial and rural committees can freely visit the central headquarters in Rangoon.
"There are committees preparing policy on health, education, defence and the economy," says the NLD spokesman U Lwin. "But our most important task is to reopen all our offices in Rangoon and the divisional headquarters throughout the country."
Nearly all the Rangoon offices have been reopened and several others in Mandalay, the country's second largest town. The NLD hopes to open many of its divisional headquarters in the next few weeks.
Membership crisis
Allowing the NLD to function is all part of the dialogue process.
"It's Aung San Suu Kyi's main priority at present," says a western diplomat in Rangoon who does not want to be identified.
There is no doubt that the NLD remains popular throughout the country. But its support seems to be more for their charismatic leader Aung San Suu Kyi than for the party itself.
The party would be nothing without her, NLD leaders admit privately.
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"It's a great burden and responsibility for her to carry," says a Rangoon-based diplomat.
"But she has the character, fortitude and vision to do it."
Nevertheless there are growing concerns about the NLD leadership as a whole. The other three top leaders - U Lwin, Aung Shwe and Tin Oo - are all in their seventies.
"There really is no one within the NLD who could replace Aung San Suu Kyi," one western diplomat in Rangoon said.
Impatience
And unlike the military, which is carefully grooming junior officers to succeed them, there is little succession planning within the opposition.
U Lwin admits that membership is falling.
"We once attracted the students, but we now have great difficulty in interesting them in joining us," he says.
There has been resentment among young NLD activists over the past 10 years that Aung San Suu Kyi has appeared to favour the old guard.
And there is growing impatience within in younger, rank-and-file party supporters that the dialogue process is progressing too slowly. They want more transparency.
"We're frustrated by constantly being told to be patient and trust our leader," says one young NLD member.
The divide between the NLD inside Burma and the opposition groups outside the country, like the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), is even more stark.
The NCGUB refuse to believe the military is sincere in wanting political change and is only stringing out the process to deflect international pressure.
U Lwin insists the dialogue process is going through a delicate stage, but progress is being made - albeit very slowly.
Burma's military leaders have celebrated a key occasion in the military's calendar, Armed Forces Day.
The parade took place amid tight security arrangements, coming only three weeks after the military authorities said they had crushed a planned coup attempt by relatives of the former military dictator, Ne Win.
Since then, there have been rumours of a power struggle within the army between liberals and hardliners, who oppose the secret talks with the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, which started nearly 18 months ago.
So conscious of security were the generals, that a decoy convoy arrived before the main guests.
In the keynote speech, the Burmese leader senior General Than Shwe stressed the need for national unity and said the army was a reluctant ruler.
He said it had been forced to seize power in 1988 because of the economic crisis and social unrest that had engulfed the country at the time, more or less blaming General Ne Win for the mess.
But General Than Shwe made no mention of the recent coup attempt or the secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Rumours
For the past week, the military government has taken great pains to dispel rumours of a power struggle within the military, releasing pictures of the top generals inspecting troops and visiting the National Museum together.
There is little doubt that General Than Shwe is in complete control.
The key issue is whether the coup attempt by Ne Win family members will stall the dialogue process.
Negotiations are continuing between the United Nations and the Burmese government to decide when the UN special envoy, Razali Ismail, can make his next visit to Rangoon.
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The Burmese foreign ministry said the envoy would be welcome in a month's time - 22 April.
But the UN is insisting that Mr Razali should be allowed into the country sooner.
A planned visit was postponed by the military authorities in Rangoon last week, after the alleged coup plot was revealed.
The international community has made it clear to Rangoon that they expect the military government to make some significant gesture towards national reconciliation soon.
Now that Army Day is over, General Than Shwe will have to turn his attention to this, or Burma could face increased international isolation and possible economic sanctions.
The United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, has arrived in Rangoon to try to revive talks between the country's ruling generals and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
After more than 12 months of talks, UN officials say Mr Razali's visit is really a make-or-break trip because the international community is growing increasingly impatient at the lack of concrete results.
But privately, UN officials admit that Mr Razali is unlikely to have any new ideas to put before the two sides, and the prospects for a major breakthrough are dim.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, have both written personally to Burma's top leader General Than Shwe, urging him to give the opposition leader an effective political role.
But in recent weeks the generals seem to have been backtracking on earlier hints that they were ready to release her.
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Her party, the National League for Democracy, is also anxious to see the dialogue move onto substantive talks as soon as possible.
Credibility at stake
Sources in the NLD say the opposition leader herself is growing concerned at the lack of progress and may consider breaking her silence soon if nothing substantive emerges from Mr Razali's mission.
She may feel her credibility is at stake, according to diplomats in Rangoon.
Diplomats say there is no question of breaking off the talks because Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD are totally committed to the dialogue process. For them it is the only way to bring democratic change to Burma.
For the international community, 18 months of confidence-building contact should have produced more concrete results. Many diplomats believe that Burma's military leaders are simply trying to spin the process out without making any major concessions.
If the generals do not show their commitment to the process, by at least releasing Aung San Suu Kyi as soon as possible, then Rangoon will face increased international isolation and further possible trade sanctions.
Mr Razali has also hinted that if this trip does not produce significant progress, then he may feel it is not worth continuing as the UN special envoy.
A United Nations special envoy has met Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an attempt to break years of political deadlock.
Razali Ismail, a retired Malaysian diplomat, is trying to negotiate an end to Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest, as part of reconciliation talks with the ruling military junta.
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There were no details of his talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League of Democracy (NLD), which were held at her lakeside residence and lasted for two hours.
Earlier he met the junta's number three, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the influential chief of military intelligence.
Neither Mr Razali or the Burmese Government made any official comment on those talks either.
But the UN envoy is reported to have told local businessmen afterwards that he had "a good meeting" with General Khin Nyunt.
A South-East Asian businessman told AP news agency that Mr Razali was optimistic of progress "in a few weeks".
Ongoing dialogue
This is Mr Razali's seventh visit to Burma since he initiated secret talks in October 2000.
On arriving in the country on Tuesday he said he was "always optimistic" and told representatives of Burma's ethnic minorities he hoped for progress in the dialogue between the pro-democracy leader and the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military junta refused to give up power.
The opposition leader has been under house arrest since September 2000 when she tried to take a trip outside the capital Rangoon. Rumours have been rife in diplomatic circles that the junta might be about to release her, perhaps during or shortly after Mr Razali's visit.
Crunch time
UN officials say Mr Razali's visit is a make-or-break trip because the international community is growing increasingly impatient at the lack of concrete results.
But privately, UN officials have told the BBC that the prospects for a major breakthrough are dim.
The negotiations have so far resulted in the release of about 200 political prisoners, but have achieved little else. Mr Razali has
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hinted he might resign if he leaves the country empty-handed this time.
Diplomats say that only Aung San Suu Kyi's release can counter growing suspicion that the junta is using the negotiations as a means of ending the poverty-stricken country's isolation and lifting crippling sanctions.
"I think Razali will insist the [government] shows concrete progress," an Asian diplomat based in Rangoon told Reuters. "The easiest way to do it is to release Aung San Suu Kyi."
Mr Razali is also to meet Senior General Than Shwe, the leader of Burma's junta at some point during his four-day visit.
He will again meet Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, party officials said.
Razali is on his seventh visit as UN special envoyThe United Nations Commission on Human Rights has accused the military government in Burma of gross human rights violations and stalling on political progress.
The move came as the UN special envoy to Burma had new talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the compound where she is under house arrest.
Razali Ismail's car was seen entering and emerging two hours later, and some sources say he had dinner with the National League of Democracy leader.
Earlier Mr Razali had talks with other NLD officials and he is expected to meet the leader of the ruling junta, Senior General Than Shwe, on Friday.
The 53-member Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution in Geneva on Thursday which accused Rangoon of "a continuing pattern of gross and systematic violations of human rights".
Its charges against Burma included:
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
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Enforced disappearances, rape, torture, inhuman treatment, forced labour, including the use of children
Forced relocation and denial of freedom of assembly, association, expression, religion and movement
The lack of an independent judiciary Delaying the process of national reconciliation and
democratisation
It is Mr Razali's seventh visit to Rangoon since he launched secret talks between the two sides in October 2000, and observers say he is under mounting pressure to secure a result.
Mr Razali said after the earlier meeting at NLD headquarters that he could not promise when there would be any positive developments, but remained "hopeful".
The NLD's Secretary, U Lwin, said the talks with the envoy had been useful but he cautioned against over-optimism.
"He said there will surely be a new development very soon but said we have to go step by step," said U Lwin.
Little to show
The junta has refused to give up power despite a landslide election victory by the NLD in 1990.
The BBC's Larry Jagan reports from Rangoon that diplomats in the city believe it unlikely the military will free Aung San Suu Kyi unconditionally.
But, he adds, many feel that the main issue is whether or not the junta will agree to meaningful political talks with the NLD.
Mr Razali already had one meeting this week with Aung San Suu Kyi and he also had talks with the junta's influential chief of military intelligence, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt.
The talks process has to date resulted in the release of about 250 political prisoners, but little else.
Mr Razali has hinted he might resign if he leaves the country empty-handed this time.
The UN envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, seems to be more optimistic than he has ever been after any of his other diplomatic missions to the country.
During his four-day visit, Mr Razali met top government ministers, key opposition leaders - including Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still under house arrest - and representatives of many of the country's ethnic groups.
But it was his final meeting with Burma's top three leaders - General Than Shwe, General Maung Aye and Lieutenant Khin Nyunt - which is being seen as most significant.
Mr Razali told Burmese businessmen that this was his first substantial meeting with General Than Shwe during his visits to Burma, although he had met him in Kuala Lumpur last year.
'No divisions'
Since the discovery in March of an alleged coup plot by family members of the former dictator Ne Win, General Than Shwe has clearly strengthened his position as the country's undisputed leader.
He is the only one in the military government who has the power to authorise the developments the UN envoy hopes for.
The fact that the country's second most powerful man, General Maung Aye, was present is also seen as significant. He is regarded as the hardliner in the triumvirate and opposed to the talks with Aung San Suu Kyi.
Burmese government sources say the general was called back a few hours early from his first official visit to Thailand to attend the meeting with Mr Razali.
Analysts believe this was to show the international community that there is no division within the army over political reform.
They say that his presence will also prevent him from later disassociating himself from any major decision the Burmese authorities make in response to Mr Razali's presentation.
Great expectations
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Everyone now expects the significant break-through to be the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
This is what the international community has been demanding, and shortly before Mr Razali arrived in Rangoon, both the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad both wrote personally to General Than Shwe urging him to find an active political role for Aung San Suu Kyi.
UN officials have hinted that this would only be part of the development.
"Aung San Suu Kyi's release would signal the start of more meaningful political talks and co-operation," said one official.
The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) is understandably ecstatic at the prospect of their leader being released soon.
But NLD leaders say just freeing her is not sufficient.
"Even more important that Daw Suu's release, is a meeting with General Than Shwe before that happens," the NLD spokesman U Lwin told the BBC.
Looking forward
It is far too early to be talking about the formation of a transitional government.
"The NLD and the international community must offer the generals help and support in developing a transitional process that will lead to democracy," says an Asian diplomat in Rangoon.
Mr Razali has constantly said change in Burma must be step by step. Apart from Aung San Suu Kyi's release, the next step must be the NLD and the military finding ways of co-operating in practice.
One idea that the UN envoy has been proposing to both sides is for the NLD and the military to form joint committees to carry out administrative functions. These might be tried in the two key areas of concern - the economy and humanitarian aid.
There is no doubt that Burma is facing a massive humanitarian crisis.
This is something which is worrying Aung San Suu Kyi and her party. It should be the first priority of a joint committee, according to senior NLD sources.
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Analysts believe this would not only be the next step in the process of confidence and trust building between the two sides, but could provide a good model for the rest of the transitional process.
While Rangoon is awash with expectations, diplomats here are more cautious. They fear that everyone is being carried away with wishful thinking rather than reality.
"We've been here before," says a Rangoon-based Western diplomat who did not want to be identified. "Promises are no longer sufficient, it's now time for action."
The United Nations special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, has told the BBC he expects "significant developments" soon in the talks between the country's military government and opposition.
Mr Razali would not be drawn on details, but UN officials said the release from house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was one possibility.
Mr Razali was speaking after meeting Burma's three top leaders on Friday, as pressure mounted on all sides for a breakthrough.
Mr Razali had a working lunch with General Than Shwe, General Maung Aye, and Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt.
General Maung Aye arrived back a few hours earlier than planned from Thailand to attend.
The meeting with Than Shwe, thought to be only the second between the two men since Mr Razali initiated talks between the government and opposition 18 months ago, will be seen as symbolically important.
The talks have so far produced few concrete results, and diplomats warn that unless the military makes concessions soon, notably by freeing Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma could face trade sanctions.
On Thursday Mr Razali met Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside home where she is under house arrest. It was their second meeting in two days. Mr Razali also met officials from her National League of Democracy.
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Rights attack
The urgent need for progress was underlined by a resolution adopted on Thursday by the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.
The 53-member commission accused the military government of "a continuing pattern of gross and systematic violations of human rights", and of stalling on political progress.
forced labour, including the use of children Forced relocation and denial of freedom of assembly,
association, expression, religion and movement The lack of an independent judiciary Delaying the process of national reconciliation and
democratisation
Mr Razali said after Thursday's meeting at NLD headquarters that he could not promise when there would be any positive developments, but remained "hopeful".
NLD Secretary, U Lwin, said the talks had been useful but he cautioned against over-optimism.
Little to show
The junta has refused to give up power despite a landslide election victory by the NLD in 1990.
The BBC's Larry Jagan in Rangoon says diplomats believe it unlikely the military will free Aung San Suu Kyi unconditionally.
But, he adds, many feel that the main issue is whether or not the junta will agree to meaningful political talks with the NLD.
The Burmese Government says progress has been made in the secret talks with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
This will be clarified in a statement to be released in a few days' time, a senior minister told the BBC.
On Friday, the United Nations envoy for Burma, Razali Ismail, said he expected significant political developments in Rangoon soon.
Many believe this will include the release of opposition leader from house arrest.
For more than 18 months, the Burmese military government has been in secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi. But in recent weeks, the international community has been voicing its impatience at the lack of progress in the dialogue brokered by the UN envoy.
'Significant'
The Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister, Khin Maung Win, told the BBC that there would be significant developments in the dialogue process very soon.
Another senior Burmese minister, Tin Win, said a government statement in the next few days would explain what progress had been made in the talks.
The UN envoy's report to the UN has fuelled speculation that a major breakthrough in the dialogue process is imminent.
There is no doubt that the National League for Democracy leaders believe Aung San Suu Kyi is going to be freed soon and able to resume an active political role.
But it is far from clear that this will in fact happen in the next few days.
Pressure grows
Three months ago exactly, the opposition leader met the country's top three generals - General Than Shwe, General Maung Aye and Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt for dinner.
But even that did not secure her release.
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Europe, the United States and Japan have all warned Rangoon that, unless there is significant progress soon, they will be forced to consider isolating the country further and even introducing trade sanctions.
Only Aung San Suu Kyi's release would satisfy them.
But diplomats here remain cautious that this will in fact happen soon.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wednesday, 1 May, 2002, 17:08 GMT 18:08 UK
Hopes high for Burma breakthrough
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met one of the country's top generals on Wednesday to discuss the conditions for her release and the possible mass release of other political prisoners.
The talks with the country's military intelligence chief, Lieutenant Khin Nyunt, are the latest signal that the two sides are close to an agreement.
The BBC's Larry Jagan in Rangoon says Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to be released in the next few days.
But opposition sources say the military government is still attaching conditions - and unless it makes a significant concession freeing her unconditionally, Aung San Suu Kyi will not accept the government's offer.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 20 months. There has been a flurry of activity at the Nobel laureate's Rangoon home in recent days, and after years of neglect the road outside has been repaired.
Brigadier-General Than Tun, the official liaison officer between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military regime, made three visits to Aung San Suu Kyi's lakeside home on Tuesday.
His rare appearance followed strong hints by the United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, that the Nobel Peace Prize winner could be released shortly.
"Be patient. I think something big will happen," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
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General's message
Mr Razali spent four days in talks with Burma's junta and opposition last week in an attempt to break the country's political deadlock.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions over the issue and over its human rights record.
Europe, the United States and Japan have all warned that unless there is significant progress soon, they will be forced to consider isolating the country further and even introducing trade sanctions.
Burma's newspapers on Wednesday carried May Day messages from Burma's top leader General Than Shwe, but did not say anything about Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Evidently, the nation is stable and there are signs of development in the nation," Than Shwe's message said.
The United States and human rights groups have called for Aung San Suu Kyi, 56, to be released unconditionally.
When she was freed in 1995 after six years of house arrest, she was put under travel restrictions. Her attempt to defy the ban by travelling to Mandalay was the incident that prompted the junta to again put her under house arrest.
One source close to the junta has told Reuters news agency to expect "a breakthrough" in the country's politics.
The source said the opposition leader could be freed in a deal under which she would co-operate with the military in humanitarian work such as health and education.
By Somchai Suwanban Head of the BBC's Burmese Service
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Behind the ferment of speculation about whether or not Aung San Suu Kyi is about to be freed lie other important questions.
Will it make a difference politically if she is released? Some Burma watchers say no, if it is not part of a bigger package of practical steps to advance the political process.
A big question is, what is the price for her release?
According to some opposition figures, merely allowing her to walk out of her lakeside home is meaningless.
It would simply turn the clock back 19 months to the moment when she was prevented from boarding a train to travel out of Rangoon.
Since then the only progress from the dialogue between the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader and the military government has been the release of a small number of political prisoners. Releasing them is good PR for the junta, and is aimed at reducing international pressure.
However, some Burmese journalists working outside the country say there are a number of political prisoners the government is still reluctant to set free - key figures like Ming Ko Niang a former student leader, NLD political activists like U Win Tin, U Aye Tha Aung and U Khin Maung Swe.
Dangerous compromise?
The Burmese junta has spoken of significant progress in the talks. So what does this mean?
The US State Department says Aung San Suu Kyi should be released unconditionally and afforded full freedom of movement and association.
But democracy activists outside Burma are wary of her being forced to accept a deal which may curb her political role, in exchange for the release of political detainees.
They are worried, too, that she might agree to withdraw one of the NLD's key demands that the government recognise the party's landslide victory in the 1990 elections.
Reports from Rangoon say the government is set to announce the formation of a joint committee in which Aung San Suu Kyi will be involved. The committee would administer humanitarian aid in fields such as health and education, opening up the possibility of foreign funds flowing in after long years of isolation.
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This would involve a major shift in strategy for Aung San Suu Kyi, who has hitherto refused to give any sort of legitimacy to the junta.
'Impossible mission'
Nevertheless, Burma is in a desperate economic condition. Last week the Burmese currency sunk to an all time low against the dollar. Import-export trade is in turmoil following the government's clumsy withdrawal of foreign trade licences.
And last year, some United Nations agencies leaked damning reports on the miserable condition of public health and education.
The country's infrastructure is close to collapse - and both the government and the opposition are in a dilemma about how to address the problem.
Reports from Rangoon suggest that as part of any political deal, Aung San Suu Kyi could be asked to work out an economic reform plan to drag the country out of the mess it is in. This could be an impossible mission.
For more than a quarter of a century, Burma languished under the regime of former ruler Ne Win. Under his "Burmese Way to Socialism", the economy crumbled.
The current leadership has introduced some market reforms, but Burma's economic structure and mentality has not really changed.
Analysts say it would be a monumental task for anyone to reform the Burmese economy, especially while cronyism and patronage are so entrenched.
The recent purge of the Ne Win family was, in part, because they were business rivals of the current leadership.
Some economists say that to put Burma on a sound economic footing would necessarily involve the phasing out of military power in politics - and that is something the current leadership is not prepared to accept.
Burma's opposition National League for Democracy is hopeful its leader Aung San Suu Kyi will be freed soon, as negotiations between her and the military government continue.
NLD Vice-President Tin Oo told the BBC that final arrangements were being made for her release from 20 months under house arrest.
He did not elaborate, but senior NLD sources said Aung San Suu Kyi was still negotiating the conditions for her release.
The BBC's Larry Jagan says the NLD's headquarters in Rangoon has been a hive of activity all day.
A new office is being built so Aung San Suu Kyi can resume her political activities. An air conditioning unit is being installed and a telephone line repaired.
NLD workers said the phone would be working on Monday, after the government cut it several years ago.
Government hold up
Speculation about Aung San Suu Kyi's imminent release has been building all week.
But there is still uncertainty over whether the military government will release her unconditionally, or whether she will be forced into some kind of compromise.
Our correspondent says that as days pass with no sign Aung San Suu Kyi is closer to freedom, there are growing fears the arrangements for her release have come unstuck.
Senior sources in the NLD say the hold-up is due to the government's unwillingness to formally commit itself to carrying on a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi.
The sources say the opposition leader has asked the generals to guarantee her further meetings and access to senior generals when necessary.
One source said the NLD was waiting for the government to issue a statement before Aung San Suu Kyi would agree to be released.
Diplomats believe this would entail the military publicly acknowledging that they were having secret talks with the opposition leader and a commitment to continue the dialogue process.
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The international community has been urging the generals to free the opposition leader unconditionally.
Tin Oo said there was concern not to repeat what happened in 1995, when Aung San Suu Kyi was released after six years of house arrest but was forbidden to leave Rangoon.
Aung San Suu Kyi was put under house arrest in September 2000 after she defied the travel ban by trying to visit the city of Mandalay.
During her house arrest she has been in secretive talks with the military, brokered by the United Nations envoy, Razali Ismail.
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power.
Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions over the issue, and over its human rights record.
Europe, the United States and Japan have all warned that unless there is significant progress soon, they will be forced to consider isolating the country further and even introducing trade sanctions.
Reporters have been waiting outside Aung San Suu Kyi's streetThe Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, will be released on Monday, the country's ambassador in Washington has said.
Ambassador Linn Myaing said he had been informed by Rangoon that "Suu Kyi is at liberty to carry out all activities relating to her party as of 6 May."
The 56-year old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been under house arrest for 19 months.
She has been holding secret talks with Burma's generals, brokered by the UN envoy for Burma Razali Ismail.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy convincingly won elections in 1990, but the country's military rulers have refused to hand over power.
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In preparation for their leader's release, the party has renovated its offices and the phone line has been restored after being cut by the military authorities several years ago.
A new public address system has been installed to help with party meetings and press conferences.
An NLD spokeswoman told the Agence France Presse news agency: "We are installing air conditioning - it is for her, we are expecting her release very soon."
Anticipation
Scores of foreign reporters have been waiting for Aung San Suu Kyi's appearance outside University Drive, the barricaded avenue that leads to her lakeside villa.
Government sources have been quoted as saying Aung San Suu Kyi will be released unconditionally.
She was first placed under house arrest from 1989 to 1995. Her release then was marked by an outpouring of jubilation.
She was placed under house arrest again in September 2000 after two high-profile attempts to leave Rangoon, despite junta orders not to.
Our correspondent says that this time she is determined not to do anything that could threaten the future of the dialogue process.
Unexplained delay
The pro-democracy opposition leader's release has been expected now for nearly a week.
The UN representative who brokered the talks was told by one of the country's top generals that the opposition leader would be released early last week.
There has been no explanation as to what caused the delay but NLD sources believe Aung San Suu Kyi was trying to ensure that the dialogue process would continue after her release.
A senior NLD source says the talks have moved notably one step forward from the confidence-building stage.
Our correspondent says that while the overwhelming hope is that Aung San Suu Kyi's release does signal a step towards serious
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political talks, the generals are certainly in no hurry to introduce meaningful democratic reform.
Burma's military government has released the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest in Rangoon for the past 20 months.
A government spokesman told the Reuters news agency she was "at liberty to carry out all activities, including her party's" from Monday.
There were jubilant scenes as the opposition leader emerged from her home and arrived at the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy, where more than 300 of her supporters had gathered.
A spokesman for her National League for Democracy said the party believes her release is unconditional.
The junta said it was "starting a new page" for the people of Burma.
UN role in release
News of Aung San Suu Kyi's release followed hints last week by the United Nations envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, that the Nobel Prize winner could be released shortly.
Mr Razali spent four days in talks with Burma's junta and opposition last month in an attempt to break the country's political deadlock.
Aung San Suu Kyi's won a landslide victory in 1990 but the junta refused to give up power.
Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions over the issue and over its human rights record.
The government began secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi in October 2000, a move hailed as a breakthrough. But in recent weeks, the international community has been voicing its impatience at the lack of progress.
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Our Burma analyst Larry Jagan has said the release of Aung San Suu Kyi was widely regarded as the single most important step the junta could take to show it was considering political change.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of assassinated independence hero Aung San, was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995.
She was placed back under house arrest in 2000 when she tried to travel by train to Mandalay in defiance of restrictions put on her.
Her release in 1995 did not herald any political change.
Like the South African leader Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.
For the Burmese people, Aung San Suu Kyi represents their best and perhaps sole hope that one day there will be an end to the country's military repression.
In 1991, while she was under house arrest, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Burma.
Her sons went to Oslo to accept the award on her behalf. At the presentation, the Chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Francis Sejested, called her "an outstanding example of the power of the powerless".
"Aung San Suu Kyi cannot be silenced because she speaks the truth," he said.
For much of the 15 years since she returned to Burma from overseas, she has been under house arrest in the capital Rangoon.
She was initially under house arrest for six years, until she was released on 10 July 1995. She was again put under house arrest in September 2000 when she tried to travel to the central northern city of Mandalay in defiance of travel restrictions.
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'Impressive' person
However on 6 May 2002 she was released unconditionally following secretive talks with the military junta.
During that second period under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi was able to regularly meet the other top leaders of her party, the National League for Democracy, and selected senior visiting diplomats like the United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail.
This was in stark contrast with the previous time, when she was often in solitary confinement and for several years was not allowed to see her two sons or her husband, the late British academic Michael Aris.
During these periods of confinement, Aung San Suu Kyi busied herself studying and exercising. She meditated, worked on her French and Japanese language skills, and relaxed by playing Bach on the piano.
She has often said that the earlier period of detention made her more resolute and ready to dedicate the rest of her life to represent the average Burmese citizen.
But Aung San Suu Kyi is no ordinary person. The UN envoy, Razali Ismail has said privately that the opposition leader is undoubtedly one of the most impressive people he has ever met, and the Burmese junta owe it to the rest of the world to allow her to realise her potential - for he is certain not only Burma but Asia will benefit from her political leadership.
Overseas life
Much of Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal within Burma lies in the fact she is the daughter of the country's independence hero General Aung San. He was assassinated during the transition period in July 1947, just six months before independence.
Aung San Suu Kyi was only two years old at the time.
In 1960 Aung San Suu Kyi - then a teenager - went to India with her mother Daw Khin Kyi, who had been appointed Burma's ambassador to Delhi.
While there she lived the life of a diplomat's child and developed a wide circle of Indian friends which included Indira Gandhi's sons Rajiv and Sanjay.
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Four years later she went to Oxford University in the UK, where she studied philosophy, politics and economics. There she met her future husband, Michael Aris.
After stints of living and working in Japan and Bhutan, she settled down to be an English don's house-wife and raise their two children, Alexander and Kim.
But Burma was never too far away from her thoughts.
Protests
It was not until 1988 that she returned to Rangoon alone - initially to look after her critically ill mother. But she arrived in the midst of a major political upheaval.
Thousands of students, office workers and monks took to the streets for months, demanding democratic reform.
"I could not, as my father's daughter remain indifferent to all that was going on," she said in a speech in Rangoon on 26 August 1988. It was Burma's second struggle for independence, she said.
Aung San Suu Kyi was soon propelled into leading the revolt against then-dictator General Ne Win. Inspired by the non-violent campaigns of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King, and India's Mahatma Gandhi, she organised rallies and travelled around the country, calling for peaceful democratic reform and free elections.
But the demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the army, who seized power in a coup on 18 September 1988.
The military government - the State Law and Order Restoration Council - called national elections in May 1990.
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD convincingly won the polls, despite the fact the she herself was under house arrest and disqualified from standing. But the junta refused to hand over power.
In March 1999 Aung San Suu Kyi suffered a major personal tragedy when her husband died of cancer.
The military authorities did offer to allow her to travel to the UK to see him on his deathbed. But she refused, for fear that the military government would not allow her back into the country.
She had not seen him for three years.
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Now, after years of trying to ignore and belittle Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's generals have started secret talks with her on Burma's political future. It has raised hopes inside and outside the country that this may eventually lead to some form of democracy.
For the Burmese on the street, Aung San Suu Kyi represents their aspirations for freedom from military oppression. While she is alive, those hopes of liberation continue to burn bright.
The generals who rule Burma might wish otherwise, but 14 years after she entered the political fray, Aung San Suu Kyi is as central as ever to hopes of resolving the country's long-running crisis.
From behind the walls of her lakeside villa in Rangoon, Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a powerful and enduring symbol of resistance to a vilified regime.
But she is not without her critics. Some accuse her of inflexibility in pressing her demand that the government accept the National League for Democracy's 1990 election victory, and hand over power.
In the past two years, the authorities have tried to exploit the frustration with Aung San Suu Kyi's strategy felt in some quarters abroad to break out of their own international isolation.
They have achieved some success: strengthening ties with China, India and neighbouring Thailand have helped mitigate the continuing hostility of the United States and much of Europe.
But other pressures - notably a fast unravelling economy - obliged the generals to accept the mediation of the United Nations special envoy, Razali Ismail, and begin secret negotiations with Aung San Suu Kyi.
The highly limited results of those talks led many to conclude that the government was more interested in deceiving the outside world than in nudging Burma along the path to democracy.
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Even with Aung San Suu Kyi at liberty, some of that scepticism will linger.
For the process to continue, each side's readiness to make concessions will be put to the test. A tortuous process of political re-engagement still has a very long way to go.
Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has made huge personal sacrifices in her struggle for democracy in Burma.
She has spent much of the past 14 years since she returned to Burma under house arrest in Rangoon.
She became one of the world's most famous political prisoners by refusing offers of freedom in exchange for exile.
When Aung San Suu Kyi's British husband Michael Aris was dying from cancer in 1999, the military authorities offered to allow her to travel to the UK to see her husband on his deathbed, and then to his funeral.
But she refused, for fear that the military government would refuse to allow her back into the country. She even missed his funeral rather than risk banishment from Burma.
She had not seen her husband for three years.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Burma's assassinated independence hero Aung San, had always warned Michael, an academic at Oxford University, that if her country needed her she would do whatever she could.
Political upheaval
The two met when Aung San Suu Kyi was studying in Oxford. They married in 1972 and had two sons, Alexander and Kim.
Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma alone in 1988, initially to nurse her dying mother. But she arrived just as popular demonstrations against the military broke out nationwide.
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The demonstrations were crushed by the military and a new set of generals replaced the military dictator Ne Win. Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested in 1989, accused of inciting unrest and placed under house arrest for six years.
In 1990 while she was still confined, Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory that the junta refused to accept.
The opposition leader was released in July 1995 but remained under strict travel restrictions. She was again put under house arrest in September 2000 when she defied the restrictions and tried to travel to the central northern city of Mandalay.
During that second stint of house arrest, her telephone was cut off, but she was regularly able to meet top NLD leaders and visiting diplomats like the United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail.
She also had visits from her sons and grandson.
This was in stark contrast with the previous period of detention, when she was often in solitary confinement and for several years was not allowed to see her family.
Music fan
During a visit to her home in February 1994, she told then-US Congressman Bill Richardson that her life in detention was not physically harsh except that sometimes she had no money for food.
While under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi kept busy by listening to foreign radio broadcasts, studying French and Japanese, and playing the piano.
She is a big fan of Bach, but is also said to have acquired new musical tastes while in detention, including US rock band The Grateful Dead and reggae singer Bob Marley.
While under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi kept to a strict routine, rising at 0430 to meditate, and going to bed at about 2130.
She has often said that the earlier period of detention made her more resolute and ready to dedicate the rest of her life to represent the average Burmese citizen.
On one occasion Aung San Suu Kyi said she did not at all like politics and preferred to be a writer.
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"But once I had committed myself, then there cannot be any half measures," she said.
Q&A: Aung San Suu Kyi's releaseBurma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been freed after nearly 20 months under house arrest. BBC News Online examines the issues behind her release.
Why is Aung San Suu Kyi's release important?
Aung San Suu Kyi's release is the first major breakthrough in United Nations sponsored-efforts to resolve years of political deadlock in Burma.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military government refused to recognise the result.
But for the last 18 months, the military and Aung San Suu Kyi have been holding secret talks, raising hopes of a reconciliation.
So does this change anything?
It is a big start, but democracy in Burma is still a long way off.
However, it is significant that Aung San Suu Kyi has been released without any restrictions on her movement.
When she was released in 1995 after six years under house arrest, very little changed and she was not allowed to leave the capital Rangoon.
Now she can operate freely and says she will continue to talk to the military government to try to bring political change.
Why have the generals released Aung San Suu Kyi?
Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions over its refusal to reform.
Europe, the United States and Japan had all warned that unless there was significant progress, they would be forced to consider isolating the country further and bring in tougher economic sanctions.
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Burma is in a prolonged economic crisis and has been trying for some time to break out of its isolation.
Both the US and the EU have signalled their willingness to resume limited humanitarian aid, if the dialogue process yielded concrete results.
How did Burma's problems get so serious?
Burma was a British colony until 1948 when it was one of the world's biggest rice exporters and one of South East Asia's wealthier countries.
But since 1962 it has been ruled by a repressive military regime.
The first military leader, General Ne Win, put in place nominally socialist policies which nationalised the economy and discouraged foreign investment.
By 1988, rice shortages and anger at repression led to street protests which, on 8 August, saw soldiers firing on unarmed crowds and killing thousands.
A month later, a group of generals styling themselves as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) took over and crushed the pro-democracy movement.
What have the peace talks been about?
The talks are believed to have started in October 2000, a month after Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest after trying to travel out of Rangoon.
It was only in January 2001 that the UN envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, was able to reveal that the talks had in fact got under way. Very few details of the talks have leaked - even now that Aung San Suu Kyi is free.
Most of the meetings have been between Aung San Suu Kyi and a military intelligence liaison officer, though there were rumours in January that Aung San Suu Kyi had met head of state General Than Shwe, the military government's all-powerful leader.
The UN has been pressing the government to make a number of key concessions.
The key concession - Aung San Suu Kyi's release - has now been met.
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But the UN also wants freedom for political parties to operate, and moves towards power sharing.
In return, the government is thought to be looking for increased international aid, foreign investment, and a lifting of trade restrictions.
Has Aung San Suu Kyi made any concessions?
Before her release there were reports that Aung San Suu Kyi was preparing to make some concessions herself, in order to ensure a breakthrough.
Nothing has yet materialised, but with talks expected to continue, judging how far she should go will be extremely difficult.
She has always demanded that the government accept the NLD's 1990 election victory, and hand over power.
While some criticise her for being inflexible in that demand, she will face fierce criticism from inside the NLD and from international human rights groups if she is seen to be appeasing the military government by backing down on that demand.
International sanctions are her most powerful bargaining chip in talks with the ruling generals - many Western countries would resume investment and aid if Aung San Suu Kyi said she supported such a move.
What is life like for most Burmese?
For the privileged families and friends of the military government, the past decade has brought increased wealth, imported cars and a property boom.
But for most of the country's 42 million people, life remains difficult.
More than 40% of government spending goes to the military, while health and social programmes suffer.
Inflation has averaged more than 25% and unemployment is very high in the cities. There are regular power cuts and fuel shortages, and import restrictions keep some foreign goods out of the shops.
In rural areas, farmers are forced to sell part of their rice to the government at below-market rates. A UN report estimated that one in three children is undernourished.
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If there is a breakthrough, what are the priorities to address?
There are almost too many to list but the international community would be hoping for meaningful political reform.
With no democratic tradition, there are no legal checks on the military government, which has been accused of using policies including torture, rape, political imprisonment and forced labour.
There is also a problem with refugees. Military action against ethnic groups like the Karens, and relocations within Shan State, has forced about 155,000 people into refugee camps in Thailand and Bangladesh.
A further million Burmese live in neighbouring countries but not in refugee camps - including 700,000 in Thailand.
There are also serious problems with drugs and Aids.
Despite government pledges of a crackdown, Burma is one of the world's biggest producers of opium, the base for heroin, and methamphetamines.
Although the figures are unreliable, Burma is itself estimated to have 500,000 heroin addicts. Because of a shortage of needles, they are believed to be spreading the HIV virus which can lead to Aids.
Some health officials warn that Burma is facing an Aids epidemic that could eclipse the worst seen in Africa.
Two Britons who were jailed in Burma for pro-democracy protests have cautiously welcomed the release of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Human rights activist James Mawdsley was sentenced to 17 years in jail for distributing pro-democracy leaflets.
And Rachel Goldwyn, of London, was freed two-and-half years ago after serving two months of a seven-year sentence for singing a pro-democracy song.
Mr Mawdsley, who has just returned from his latest visit to Burma, told BBC News Online that the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest by the military government was an important step towards democracy.
"Everyone welcomes this move," he said.
"It is the right thing for Burma but it is by no means a reason to relax pressure on the regime.
Determination
"There may be a sense that the army is losing morale but there are areas where repression remains savage."
But the 29-year-old charity worker, now living in London, is optimistic about the country's future.
"I am more and more encouraged by the strength of the Burmese people. They will win their democracy," he said.
He added that Aung San Suu Kyi's release proved that the European Union and the British Government's support of elected representatives was working.
Mr Mawdsley was only freed after spending 416 days in solitary confinement in Burma two years ago.
Having suffered at the hands of the regime, he said its actions could never be "taken at face value".
Ms Goldwyn echoed his cautious sentiments.
The development studies masters student said she hoped the pro-democracy leader's release would be more than a gesture.
Ongoing dialogue
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"It's wonderful for her, wonderful for her family and for the future of the country," she said.
But she added: "I don't want to throw cold water on the news but we do need to approach it with caution."
Aung San Suu Kyi had been released from house arrest before but was then stopped from organising politically or meeting with her followers.
She was again placed under house arrest in 2000, when she tried to travel by train to Mandalay in defiance of restrictions put on her.
Ms Goldwyn said the leader's release needed to be "followed through" with further action by the government.
"There is a dialogue process. I hope this is an important step in this dialogue process.
"There are still 2,500 political prisoners inside Burma.
"They must be released for it to be seen as a serious effort."
Sanction threat
She believes that the potential US ban on all Burmese imports had spurred on Burma's military government to engage in talks from late 2000.
She is concerned the release of the Nobel Peace Prize winner may not be more than a "conciliatory gesture".
But the impact on the morale of political prisoners could not be underestimated, she said.
"They are suffering appalling conditions. When the message gets through it's very important."
Ms Goldwyn, 30, a graduate of the London School of Economics, was jailed for singing a pro-democracy song in the Burmese capital, Rangoon.
As a foreigner her situation was different but she was convinced that prisoners would hear about the release.
"This release is important not only to prisoners but to all the country," she said.
She personally had no plans to return to Burma at present.
Shunned for years by the international community, Burma is now desperately trying to break out of its isolation.
While China has remained Burma's closest ally, ever since the country's generals seized power in a bloody coup more than 13 years ago, Europe and the United States have maintained limited sanctions against Rangoon because of its terrible human-rights record.
International pressure was stepped up after the pro-democracy party led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy (NLD) convincingly won the national elections in 1990, but were prevented from taking power by the military.
In the past, Burma's military rulers often made a virtue out of the fact that they were internationally isolated. But facing a long-term economic crisis, Burma's military leaders have begun to see the need to open up to the outside world.
A Burmese businessman who did not want to be identified said: "At the very least, Burma's military leaders know they need greater access to international finance, investment and trade if their economy is to develop."
Charm offensive
While the West tries to keep Rangoon isolated, the generals are reaching out to its neighbours in East and South East Asia and improving ties with many of its former allies, like Russia, Yugoslavia and Pakistan.
"Burma's generals are on a charm offensive," said a former British ambassador to Rangoon, "and they are effectively chipping away at their international isolation."
Burma's military intelligence chief has frequently told United Nations officials that Rangoon is not worried by the West's attempts to enforce sanctions because their Asian neighbours will support them with aid and trade.
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This is certainly the case with Burma's closest neighbour, Thailand. A year ago Bangkok and Rangoon were on the verge of a war. Now relations between the two countries are growing stronger all the time.
Thailand is prepared to assist Burma economically, in return for the Burmese stepping up its campaign to stamp out the drugs trade and stem the flow of illegal workers across the border.
India's military concerns
India, has also changed its policy towards Burma.
Initially, Delhi insisted it supported the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and joined the international community in putting pressure on the generals to respect the 1990 election results. However this has changed into one of growing engagement. In the past two years there have been regular ministerial exchanges and a growing military co-operation between the two countries.
A former Indian ambassador to Rangoon, who did not want to be identified, said: "India's primary concern is to counter China's dominant influence in the country."
"The Indian Government is understandably worried about China's growing military presence in the country," he said.
China 'supports reform'
Although China has remained a staunch ally since 1988, Chinese officials have hinted that Beijing is now growing concerned about the country's long-term stability.
"China's leaders are worried about the military government's lack of political legitimacy and its failing economy," said a Chinese official, on condition of anonymity.
Beijing now fully supports the UN's efforts to help bring democratic reform to Burma, according to officials involved in the dialogue process between the country's generals and Aung San Suu Kyi.
Burma's South East Asian neighbours have also been privately urging Rangoon to accommodate the opposition leader and introduce a measure of democratic reform.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad has been at the forefront of the regional organisation Asean's attempts to get Rangoon to change.
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Greater openness
For its part, Rangoon has also begun to engage the international community through the UN system.
Over the past two years they have allowed numerous investigative missions by the International Labour Organisation and the UN rapporteur Paulo Pinheiro - whereas his predecessor was denied access to Burma during the five years of his tenure.
"Rangoon has also begun to more responsive to critical reports in the various UN bodies," said a western diplomat based in Rangoon.
Once these reports would have made the generals even more insular than they naturally are. Now they are prepared to listen to criticism and not dismiss them out of hand.
The international community has always seen its hard stand on isolating Burma as part of its attempts to encourage the junta to respect the 1990 election results and improve the human-rights situation in the country.
Now with the release from house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, and signs that she will continue to hold secret talks with the generals, there is likely to be pressure on Europe and the United States to reconsider their policy of isolating Rangoon.
Before the opposition leader's release, Washington and the EU both signalled their willingness to reduce Burma's international isolation, and even resume limited humanitarian aid, if the dialogue process yielded concrete results.
Audio and video coverage--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BBC News Online brings you the latest TV and radio coverage of Aung San Suu Kyi's release. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday 6 May 2002
Burma's military government has released the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest in
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Rangoon for the past 20 months. In her first public statement, she said her release was unconditional and she was free to go anywhere she wanted.
Miss Suu Kyi's challenge to the restriction on her movements by the military is vindicated when she is prevented from boarding a train out of Rangoon. She is later escorted back to her home by the military. The US condemns Burma's treatement of her.
Concern grows as to Aung San Suu Kyi's whereabouts after Burmese soldiers forced her to return to Rangoon, following a standoff at the outskirts of the Capital. But she later appears in public safe and well. Her movements have been restricted since being released from six years of house arrest in 1995.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been a symbol of democratic resistance to Burma's military government since the election of 1990. Her National League for Democracy won that election but the junta refused to hand over power. She has spent most of the time since then in captivity.
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has rallied her followers after the military government released her from nearly 20 months of house arrest.
Thousands of cheering supporters mobbed her as she arrived at the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), after being driven from her lakeside villa in Rangoon.
In her first public statement, the Nobel Peace Prize winner said her release was unconditional and she was free to go anywhere she wanted.
World leaders have welcomed the development.
United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was "very pleased that she has been released and allowed to participate in political life once again".
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said he hoped Burma could now begin the process of reintegration into the international community.
The United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, described the release as a "major development".
In a speech to jubilant supporters at the NLD headquarters, Aung San Suu Kyi said: "It's a new dawn for the country... we only hope the dawn will move very quickly.
"I hope to be able to carry out all my duties for my party and my country in the best possible way."
'Cautiously optimistic'
The BBC's Larry Jagan in Rangoon said Aung San Suu Kyi appeared hesitant at first, but "was soon back to her old self, quipping with journalists".
"She was really in her element in front of the journalists and talking to her reporters," he said.
Aung San Suu Kyi made it clear she regarded the military government's decision to free her as only the beginning of a political process.
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"My release should not be looked at as a major breakthrough for democracy. For all people in Burma to enjoy basic freedom - that would be the major breakthrough," she said.
Asked when she believed democracy would come to her homeland, she replied: "I hope not in too many more years."
She said talks between the military government and the opposition had progressed to the stage where they could begin to tackle policy issues.
"The phase of confidence-building is over and we look forward to moving ahead," she said.
She thanked the United Nations envoy, Razali Ismail, who had held talks with the military leadership during her confinement.
She added: "Most of the changes over the past 18 months have benefited the NLD, but it is not for the NLD but for the people of Burma that we are struggling for freedom.
"We have been disappointed at the slow pace of release of political prisoners. The releases are important."
One celebrating supporter, who did not want to be named, said: "I am very proud of her. She is our national heroine. Now Burma is very poor but when she rules our country I think it will become better."
Secret talks
Aung San Suu Kyi returned home after three hours of talks with party leaders and later went to pray at Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda, the most important Buddhist shrine in Burma.
Mr Razali, speaking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, predicted that Burma would have an elected government "in a couple of years".
However, the BBC's South-East Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, says the generals have yet to spell out any plans to share power with the opposition.
Aung San Suu Kyi won an overwhelming victory in Burma's last democratic elections in 1990, but was never allowed to take power.
The junta said her release was "starting a new page" for the people of Burma.
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Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions over the issue and over its human rights record.
The government began secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi in October 2000, but in recent weeks the international community has been voicing its impatience at the lack of progress.
Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of assassinated independence hero Aung San, was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995.
But her release in 1995 did not herald any political change, and she was again placed under house arrest in 2000, when she tried to travel by train to Mandalay in defiance of restrictions put on her.
Leaders around the world have welcomed the release of Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, after 20 months of house arrest.
United Nations envoy Razali Ismail hailed her release as an "important beginning" but said more time was needed for national reconciliation.
The Malaysian diplomat, who brokered secretive talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling military junta, said Burma was "clearly indicating its commitment towards democracy and national reconciliation."
"This is a very happy day. I am delighted for her and the country," he said.
"I hope they will continue negotiations to institute democracy but we have to give them time. Don't expect things to happen immediately."
UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said that Secretary General Kofi Annan was "ready to assist the efforts of the government and the NLD to... push ahead the process of reconciliation and democratisation".
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told a news conference that it was a significant development for Burma, also known as Myanmar.
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"It is progress; it shows common sense on the part of both Aung San Suu Kyi as well as the government of Myanmar and both should be commended," he said.
"It has taken us a long time but we have to be patient."
'Long overdue'
Other countries have also welcomed the pro-democracy leader's release.
United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was "very pleased that she has been released and allowed to participate in political life once again."
UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in a statement: "I warmly welcome the news that Aung San Suu Kyi has been released.
"Her freedom is long overdue and we hope she is allowed to carry out her responsibilities as general secretary (of the National League for Democracy) freely and openly."
Aung San Suu Kyi's release was also welcomed by the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which awarded her its coveted peace prize in 1991.
"We are incredibly happy over the news," said Olav Njolstad, acting director of the institute. "She is a unique woman, some say the most shining of recent Nobel winners.
"We are hoping that the regime (in Burma) is ready for wider democratisation."
Aung San Suu Kyi did not travel to Norway to receive the award because of restrictions placed upon her.
Mr Njolstad said: "She knows that she has a standing invitation from the Norwegian Nobel Committee when the situation is right. She is heartily welcome."
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said he hoped Burma could now begin the process of reintegration into the international community.
Japan - Burma's biggest aid donor - said it would provide more assistance if moves towards democracy were speeded up.
'Important signals'
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Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the release was a positive step.
"We encourage the Burmese Government to build on this by taking further steps to advance the process," he said in a statement.
Thailand also said the development was a crucial step towards national reconciliation.
"As a neighbouring country, the Royal Thai Government welcomes the lifting of the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi... and allowing her the liberty to carry out all activities," foreign ministry spokesman Rattakit Manathat said.
The German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, said the release of political prisoners and the start of a political dialogue between the government and opposition groups would now be "important signals" on the path to democracy.
Human rights
Canada's Foreign Minister, Bill Graham, urged the ruling military regime to release all political prisoners.
"Canada welcomes the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, which is long overdue," he said. "We remain concerned, however, over ongoing human rights violations in Burma."
The World Bank said it welcomed the news and said it hoped this was "the start of a process" that would lead to Burma re-entering the international community.
Burma has faced international isolation and economic sanctions since failing to hand over power in 1990 when Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD won a landslide election victory.
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been spending her second day of freedom meeting party workers and diplomats.
But in a sign of the military government's wariness about change, Burma's official media gave little coverage to Aung San Suu Kyi's
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release and did not publish a government statement on political rights.
Aung San Suu Kyi met the ambassadors of Germany, France, Britain and Italy, and later with the US charge d'affaires.
The European Union and the US have welcomed her release from nearly 20 months of house arrest.
But they have warned Burma's military rulers that further reforms are needed before trade embargos imposed in protest at the government's human rights record can be lifted.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secret talks with the country's military rulers since she was put under house arrest.
The hope is that there will now be progress towards substantive negotiations on democratic reform.
There is a lot to do, the spokesman for her National League for Democracy party, U Lwin, told the BBC.
The NLD won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military junta refused to hand over power.
The US has given a cautious welcome to her release. President George Bush called it "very positive" and "a good development".
But US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington wanted to see concrete steps towards political reform and national reconciliation before any review of current sanctions against Burma would take place.
"We'll be closely watching to see if Aung San Suu Kyi is afforded full freedom of movement and association," he said.
Jubilant supporters
The BBC's Larry Jagan, who was in Rangoon to witness Aung San Suu Kyi's release, says the opposition leader is convinced there are no restrictions on either her movement or her political activity.
But he says the opposition will be cautious at first so as not to antagonise the military rulers or give them any reason to suspend the talks they started while Aung San Suu Kyi was confined.
Aung San Suu Kyi was quick to rally her followers after her release on Monday.
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Thousands of cheering supporters mobbed her as she arrived at the headquarters of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), after being driven from her lakeside villa in Rangoon.
"It's a new dawn for the country... we only hope the dawn will move very quickly," the Nobel Peace Prize winner told jubilant supporters.
She said the "confidence-building" stage was now over and that the dialogue process with the military was ready to move onto the next stage.
"My release should not be looked at as a major breakthrough for democracy. For all people in Burma to enjoy basic freedom - that would be the major breakthrough," she said.
She went on to meet the leaders of five ethnic political groups, including the Shan nationality's League for Democracy.
According to opposition sources they joined members of the NLD central committee to discuss how the ethnic groups might be involved if and when substantive talks on political issues start.
Aung San Suu Kyi also met European Union ambassadors and briefed them on her release.
Burma's generals have released the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but concern remains about how serious the military is about political reform.
Members of the National League for Democracy are obviously ecstatic that their leader has been released, but now the initial euphoria is subsiding there are questions about where the dialogue process goes from here.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been holding secretive United Nations-brokered talks with the generals since October 2000.
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"Both sides agree that the confidence-building phase is now over," Aung San Suu Kyi told reporters in Rangoon following her release.
"The authorities have said they look forward to moving to a more significant stage of the talks."
The NLD spokesman said no meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals had yet been arranged but the opposition leader was keen to meet with them as soon as possible.
It is unclear how keen the military regime is on the idea.
Key demand
Aung San Suu Kyi is certainly convinced that there are no restrictions on her movement or her political activity. She is adamant that the agreement which finally produced her release after nearly 20 months under house arrest in no way comprises either her ideals or her party's.
The NLD position on all issues, including its demand that the generals recognise its landslide 1990 election victory, remains unchanged, the opposition leader told journalists.
In practise that does not mean there may not be future changes to policy.
Aung San Suu Kyi's first practical concern is to revitalise the NLD. The first task will be to re-open the rest of party offices in Rangoon, and then the divisional offices throughout the country.
Aung San Suu Kyi and her party's top leaders plan to visit these offices in due course, but not immediately.
Diplomats say those planned visits will be a real test of how committed the military is to allowing the NLD to function properly. It was Aung San Suu Kyi's attempts to travel outside Rangoon in 2000 that prompted the military to return her to house arrest, having freed her in 1995.
Wooing allies
Since the secret talks between the opposition leader and the generals started nearly 20 months ago, there has been pressure to involve Burma's various ethnic groups. Aung San Suu Kyi has been particularly concerned about how to involve them.
She also wants to develop a broad movement for democracy, involving, as she put, all democratic parties.
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The NLD - as the largest party on the basis of the 1990 election results - would remain at the centre of the new movement.
The NLD has maintained good contacts with the ethnic political parties, and Aung San Suu Kyi has already briefed the leaders of four - the Shan, Mon, Arakanese and Chin.
Bargaining chip
The future may depend on how the international community responds to Aung San Suu Kyi's release. The military government expects to be rewarded for freeing her with the resumption of humanitarian aid.
There is no doubt some countries are keen to do so. But most will want to hear Aung San Suu Kyi's views on the matter before proceeding.
The opposition leader said in her first news conference after her release that the NLD did not oppose limited humanitarian aid provided it reached those in need and did not line the pockets of the military.
But she hinted that this was an area that might figure prominently in any future discussions with the generals.
"I want to help to make life better for the people of Burma," she told journalists.
There's no doubt that most people in Burma are struggling to survive and want a change.
"Let's hope Aung San Suu Kyi's release will make a difference to our lives," said a young taxi driver in Rangoon.
But though the opposition leader is free, the military is still in control and its leaders do not appear to be in any hurry to introduce real change.
Burma's freed pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has told the BBC that her 20 months under house arrest have given her a
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"very good rest" and she has been strengthened by her supporters' response.
She told the East Asia Today programme that although she was not able to discuss the specific measures that her National League for Democracy was planning, they were ready to act.
Earlier, Burma's ambassador to Britain, Kyaw Win, ruled out an early return to multi-party democracy but said that was the ruling military government's ultimate goal.
In a separate interview with the BBC, the diplomat said that following the democracy leader's release, Burma had "probably arrived at a milestone in the political transition process".
Aung San Suu Kyi said that during her detention she had been "very much strengthened... by the staunch way in which the members of my party have stood up to all manners of opposition and persuasion".
Minority fears
Earlier Khun Tun Oo, a leader of Burma's Shan ethnic minority, said the Nobel laureate had reassured him and other ethnic leaders that would be included in democracy talks with the ruling military government.
Burma's eight major ethnic groups and 135 subgroups have been waging insurgencies for political autonomy since the country's independence from Britain in 1948, although all but the Shan have since struck deals with the government.
Their leaders feared being sidelined from the democracy movement, which is dominated by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).
"I'm happy with the assurance by Daw Suu to let the ethnic groups participate in the talks at an appropriate time," said Khun Tun Oo, a leader of the Shan group.
But Mr Win stressed to the BBC that democracy would be a gradual process.
"We do not see anything dramatic happening immediately concerning... a fully established Western democratic-style political movements taking place, but there is almost no doubt that the ultimate objective is the establishment of a multi-party democratic system," he told the World Today programme.
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Although Aung San Suu Kyi has been released without restrictions on her movement, a source from the NLD told AFP news agency that she would not leave the capital Rangoon for the next few days.
But Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released on Monday after months of talks with the ruling military government, did reveal in an interview with a Norwegian television station that her first trip abroad would be to Norway, AFP reported.
Burma's military government has said it will soon resume national reconciliation talks with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed from house arrest earlier this week.
The two sides have been in secretive United Nations brokered talks since October 2000, while Aung San Suu Kyi was confined to her Rangoon home.
Her National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the military refused to hand over power.
But the junta has come under increasing pressure in recent months, as the international community has threatened tougher trade sanctions unless Burma reforms.
"Talks aimed at national reconciliation between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military authorities will be resuming very soon," deputy chief of military intelligence Major General Kyaw Win told reporters on Thursday.
However, no timetable was set.
US visa row
His comments were the first official statement on the dialogue since the Nobel peace laureate was freed on Monday from nearly 20 months under house arrest.
Aung San Suu Kyi said after her release that the initial "confidence-building" phase of the talks had been completed, and they would now begin tackling policy issues.
But Kyaw Win refused to confirm that.
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"If we didn't have confidence in each other from the beginning, the dialogue would not have started in the first place," he told reporters.
The US welcomed the release of Aung San Suu Kyi but has called for major changes before it will lift sanctions, including an arms embargo and an investment ban.
But there has been some anger in the US over the decision to waive a visa ban to allow a senior member of Burma's military regime to attend a drugs conference in Washington next week.
US Congressman, Tom Lantos, a senior member of the foreign affairs committee, said the move was a "profound mistake" and accused the Bush administration of prematurely softening its stance on Burma.
The US State Department said the visit by Colonel Kyaw Thein, who runs Burma's anti-drugs operation, had been planned for some time and was not related to Aung San Suu Kyi's release.
Burma's military government has released the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest in Rangoon for the past 19 months.
With restrictions on her movement and political activities now lifted, she has pledged to work for her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and renew her struggle to bring back democracy to Burma.
Many supporters are hoping she will be able to wrest control of the country from the military, which cast aside her landslide election victory in 1990.
But Burma, estranged from most of the world after years of military rule, is now facing acute social deprivation and a crumbling economy.
Should the NLD try to work with Burma's military government? Or should it try to push for democratic reform in other ways?
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This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
I wish people had been more mature and made wiser by past experience. We should have had enough lessons and developed understanding in fighting the military government for democracy. I do not believe that international pressure has changed the military. The Burmese military doesn't care at all about any kind of pressure. Perhaps the young generation in the military are struggling very cautiously towards democracy for the benefit of the people. It is not easy for them to do it, but apparently they are trying for it. We MUST WELCOME and recognise their struggle, and look forward to work with them in the future. At least, we should not forget to give them a way out, rather than pushing to the corner. I believe that the more we are thinking that way, the nearer for us to get democracy. Yuwadi, Malaysia
That was good news for the whole of Burma. I hope that the leadership of Aung Sun Su Kyi changes the people's lives and manages the socio-economic and healthcare crises. Dr Tin S, Taiwan
"The non-zero sum game" is about to enter the next stage. Neither turbulent flow nor slow flow is a good movement. Constant, steady flow is the best movement. Some believe that the generals are only stringing out the process to deflect international pressure. They should realise that prolonging the process loses them bargaining power. The fast unravelling economy won't allow a long string. Hlaing Oo, Japan
Military ascendancy is not a Burmese tradition. But we should notice that the legacy of Ne Win Era still remains in the political arena. The action against that family might be an attempt to separate the army from past connection with Ne Win. There is little hope that Burmese generals will go back to the barracks as their counterparts in Thailand did years ago. Aye Chan, USA
Democracy cannot be restored in Burma, because Burma never in its history has had a stable democratic government. Hopefully, through the work of Aung San Suu Kyi and others, democracy may take root in Burma. But it will be chancy, because the generals do
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not want to lose power. James M. Castro, USA
The Burmese military rulers don't deserve praise or reward for righting their own wrongdoing. You don't bargain with bullies. The destiny of Burma is democracy and that's what the free world must insist on for Burma. Robin Sengupta, USA
The dawn is coming. We are really happy in the UK. Kyaw Kyaw Maw, UK
Burma will never be a democracy so long as the army are in charg. Pradip, UK
This is the dawn of democracy to Burma. Of course, it is great news to anyone who realises the value of democracy, but we still need to be careful about the tricks and strategies of the junta. We should not be careless that they have nothing more than in their heart but power. Kyaw Swe Myint, Japan
At last our nightmares are going to be finished and the suffering to be removed. We, the people who were away from the motherland, should welcome the progress of our country's political situation and thank both the government and the opposition party. Min Maung Maung, USA
I think it is a wonderful opportunity for Burma's people to finally have their leader restored to them. I do think that she will be the most effective instrument for pushing forward the democratic movement in her country. I hope that every government will welcome her release and see it as an opportunity for democracy, renewed order and better economic conditions for all of Burma's people. As one person has said already, "Caution and more work tomorrow but for one day let's just be happy!" Let's be happy for the hope that has been restored to Burma this day, and prepare to support those who are working. Claire Guyer, USA
What we need now urgently is a completely stable country run by a government which really knows how to gain public trust. I believe neither NLD nor SPDC alone can do it. Democracy and human rights are no use for an empty stomach. Besides, we can't build a democratic country in one day. As Maung Maung, USA said, "We can't afford to suffer again for power play." Poe Khwar, U.K
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We believe that Aung San Suu Kyi will bring democracy to our country YIT students
I'm sure that Burma will become a democratic country. The will of the people, international pressure, economic and social crisis are pushing the military regime to change their way. The regime will become weak by its wrong policies and mismanagement. Kyaw Kyaw Soe, Japan
I believe it was 1776 when this country gained its independence from a repressive government. I feel this is what Aung San Suu Kyi has in mind for Burma. Michael E. Badgett, USA
The SPDC can no longer afford to operate without foreign investment. Suu Kyi's release is a ploy to encourage investment and lifting of sanctions. The world must do neither and keep the pressure. The SPDC are at their weakest for decades. Enah, UK
Never mind Burma, with present attitudes and actions, can democracy be restored in western Europe? Or is the view held by the political establishment the only one permitted? Paul B, Oxfordshire, UK
This is not the first time we know Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest. The government may rearrest her at any time. However, let's build a stable democratic government as soon as possible before the government might take over power again. Htee Ku, Burma
This is a great step forward, though I'm naturally cautious. I wonder what actions they'll take to support their words. Remember that although they're giving in to political pressure finally, that their motives have likely not changed. Suu Kyi has been released before in the past, though this release is said to be "unconditional." I think that there are some outstanding questions such as: will they hold a new election? Remember that the NLD won by a landslide in 1989 and that consequently lead to political detainments. Are they finally willing to provide a voice to the people? Or will they use this release to get themselves into the good graces of the US so that it will be "politically correct" for big name investors to resume investments? To date, most, if not all of that money has gone into pockets, and building a robust military.
The time to visit would be in the coming year to take a temperature of the general sentiment and hopefulness of the general public.
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Although I've expressed some weariness in the above, I do think that this is a step forward - strategic or otherwise. I encountered some people on my trip who were near to tears as we discussed their quality of life in private, and wish that I was there today to either see the celebration, or witness the doubt. I sense that their daily lives will not change much in the near future. Phillippa Tan, USA
This is the same regime had put Daw Suu under house arrest in 1989 and released her from years later. Then put her behind the iron gate again. Now let her go outside the gate again! Who knows what's next? This on-again off-again pattern must stop here. The release is a great news indeed... yet, I'm still incredulous about her release being "unconditional." Let's wait and see. Ryan Chow, US
Finally, our country leader has been freed. I am looking forward to Burma being a democratic country like the UK and America. Please help my country to be a democratic country. I believe the regime would make the election happen again. Hopefully, Burma will be free in everything, such as trade, and foreign exchanges. So let's help Burma now. Please! Min Ye Lwin, United States of America
Yes, this is very heart-warming news, we (people) have to be united behind her. We can't just wait and see. We have a lot to do to rebuild the country which decades long destruction by military rulers. Tin, USA
I'm really happy to hear that news about Aung San Suu Kyi's unconditional release. This is a victory for democratical strugglers in the world. She is an unstoppable heroine of our life time, for freedom, for democracy, for peace. Kolitha Fernando, Sri Lankan living in Australia
We have some idea of what Aung San Suu Kyi is made of after all these years. Now we shall see what the rest of the world leaders are composed of, especially those who proclaim to support democracy and human rights. What indeed does the future hold for Burma? Eva, USA
The military government in Burma has destroyed the country and needs to be replaced by a legitimate government. However, any government will find it difficult to repair all the damage that has been done. They will therefore need some real international help, not just words, to recover. If the military don't relinquish power soon, Burma is going to find itself in the same condition as North
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Korea, where there are food shortages and extreme poverty. Phil T, Oman
Everybody, especially the Myanmars, should welcome this great positive step. We have already suffered, persevered and been patient. Now this is time to forgive the past as a reward for their commendable decision with goodwill. This will be in line with the Buddha's teachings. With these conceptions, we hope to regain a peaceful country desirable to stay for our citizens. Tin M, Malaysia
The obvious danger is that the otherwise entirely laudable and long-overdue release of Aung San Suu Kyi will be the end of the process, not the beginning. Many other entirely innocent political prisoners languish in appalling conditions in Burma's jails, and unless there is continuing unremitting pressure from the rest of the world, they may well stay there. Nevertheless, her release is another small victory for the power of non-violent resistance and principled political pressure, and for that small ray of sunshine in a world driven by violence, we should all be grateful. Stephen Yolland, Australia
In short, no. A democratic government under the leadership of a courageous leader like Aung San Suu Kyi is not conducive to the exploitation of Burma's rich natural resources by multinational corporations. The world did nothing to topple the military dictatorship in Nigeria because a certain well known oil company was gleefully exploiting the oil deposits of that country. We watched and waited while Ken Saro Wiwa, the activist who fought for the rights of the exploited people was hanged. The question is, what did we do when Ms Suu Kyi was placed in house arrest in the first place? When the 1988 election where she won 80% of the vote was annulled? When at least 10,000 of her supporters were brutally murdered?
The junta has the tacit backing of the international community. It was only few years ago that they were welcomed to the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN).They will periodically release Ms Suu Kyi for a couple of years, before consigning her back to her home-cum-prison. This is so that the international community can say "Look, see? They are interested in change, we should engage in dialogue with them." Dialogue, not about restoring democracy, but about gaining access to the remaining natural resources of the country. Dialogue about how to further exploit the cheap labour. As for the international community applying any real pressure to oust the tin pot dictatorship... I am not holding my breath. R Rezel, Manchester, UK
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Of course we are happy for our leader's release. I just feel that we, Burmese people need human rights since we are human beings. We do not have human rights at all in Burma. No one needs to be afraid of any one unless having reasons. The Burmese junta talk so much about patriotism but I just want to say if their attitude on people and the country is not sincere, it is better not to do anything. The people who have been suffering about 40 years under a dictatorship sincerely believe the ones who have to try for unity, peace and stability for the country are not people but only the junta. Because the students and people have loved it since the beginning. We will walk on our journey for democracy with unity, discipline, and of course caution under the guidance of our leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Whoever wants to help their own country, sincerity and conscience are the most important. We, the majority of Burmese people are pure Buddhists who do not like dictatorship and cruelty. We will be united. Aung Chun, Jamaica
The military regime has been rooted in Burma for almost 40 years, and its arm-power overwhelms the unarmed pro-democracy groups in Burma. So, it is wiser to work with the current military regime to transform Burma into a democratic country rather than taking alternative routes to democracy. In the meantime, please don't forget the starving ordinary people in Burma. Immediate humanitarian aids in food, medicines and educations are essential. Jtun, Canada
Burmese intellectuals abroad welcome the news but prefer to wait and see the real change to democratic rule led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Once the best in South East Asia, Burma is now one of the poorest. When freedom from fear rules in Burma under Aung San Suu Kyi, most living abroad will go back home and participate in the country's rebuilding. Give room for the military to have freedom from fear for their own life and property. Have a big heart and do not revenge, so that Aung San Suu Kyi will be allowed to lead the country, the sooner the better. Wai, USA,
I agree with people who say 'wait and see.' I am happy that Suu Kyi is released but military junta has been lying to everyone for over a decade. I don't want to be optimistic about this news at this time. So, let's wait and see. Florence, USA
The military junta ran Burma to the ground as demonstrated by the economic mess and extreme social deprivation they have created. These dinosaurs must go. Burma needs our help and the international community must do what it takes to give democracy a
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chance to thrive, including economic aid. Tam, UK
If Aung San Suu Kyi had the patience to endure 19 months of house arrest without whinging to the media, I think we should be patient for 19 days or 19 weeks to see how the people of Burma react to this positive signal. It is their country, and they would not want any opportunity blown by outsiders building up high expectations. That's not Asia's way. Let's hope the democratic leader stays free and pray for her success. Caroline Walcot, Belgium
Caution and more work tomorrow but for one day let's just be happy! Storm NY, USA
This is not the first time that Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest. In July 1995, SLORC, as the Burmese regime was then known, released her from six years of house arrest, during which her coalition party, the NLD, won a landslide electoral victory. The junta refused to hand over power. Suu Kyi's release then, as now, was party thanks to international pressure. But the world's attention soon wandered and Suu Kyi's freedom was increasingly restricted. As a reporter in Thailand in the early 1990s, I met many people who had been rounded up by SLORC and made to carry food and weapons to the frontlines where the hated Burmese army was fighting the Karen, one of several ethnic minorities who have been struggling for independence since 1947. Gavin Lewis, UK
After making several trips to Burma over the years, I welcome every step towards democracy for the long-suffering people of this wonderful nation. However, I find it deeply worrying that the people who are most applauding the liberation of Aung San Suu Kyi - namely Britain and the US - are the same people who have been campaigning for the right of foreign businesses to exploit Burma's natural resources. I wonder whether politicians in Whitehall would be so interested in Burma's democracy struggle if they weren't equally interested in the country's oil and timber reserves? Joe Bindloss, UK
This is heartening news indeed. At this stage, we can only hope the military junta's moves are a genuine step towards restoring democracy to the cruelly oppressed people of Burma. No praise is high enough for Aung San Suu Kyi for the stand she has made for the people of that country. Graham, The Netherlands
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What is important at this juncture is to revive the economy and let foreign companies also play an important role in reviving the economy of Myanmar. Christina Rajendren, Sri Lanka
The unconditional release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is most welcome. This eventful day will go down in Burma's history as a day when the forces of democracy overcame the forces of power and injustice. The future of Burma should be for the betterment of its long-suffering citizens. The time has come for everyone interested in Burma's future to combine their efforts to eliminate pain and suffering. This can only be achieved through trust and hard work. The military regime has called it a day marking a new page for the people of Burma and the international community. Words alone cannot bring about change. It is action that is needed. They must be ready to sit down with the NLD, other political parties and the ethnic groups and draw up a constitution that will be acceptable to the Burmese people and thus begin the reconciliation process. They must also release all political prisoners and draw up an agenda to begin the process of democratisation. If the military regime were sincere in its process of change, there would be no need for the carrot and stick approach. Robert Peters, Australia
I think this is just the beginning. There is a lot more to be done. It is not right for military rulers to control some of the most peaceful people in the world. Democracy cannot pave its way into Burma as long as the military is in power. The international community needs to do a lot more to drive out the military dictators who dishonoured the election results from a few years ago where the NLD had a landslide victory. Ang's release is a good start, but there more work to do before we can be realistically hope to see Burma transformed into a democracy. Bhasu, USA
Whatever happens, we as a country have to stand on our own two feet. We have suffered long enough from British imperialism, of which the military junta can be said to have derived from to unite the country. An understanding of freedom and establishing democracy will take time for our people, but with Aung San Suu Kyi, and the peaceful minds of her and my Burmese people, I'm certain that a peaceful move toward democracy is not far away. Ekapot Srisakuna, Burma/UK
Let's not forget what Daw Suu's father Bogyoke Aung San said when he gave his speech to the public before gaining independence: "We cannot gain our independence just by hoping and wishing away, we will have to work very hard - flat out." For us, the release of Daw Suu is just the beginning. The release of
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other political prisoners has to follow. The military has to admit defeat and recreate its role as a non-political entity with its primary role of defence of the country. The people of Burma have to realise how easy it is to lose the democratic rights that we once had and how hard it is to fight and regain them. There should be no excuse for the military to step into politics again. The majority have to realise too that other nationalities and other ethnic minorities need to have their own rights protected by law and they should have the right to autonomy. There's still a long road ahead of us but the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Thiha Thura, Australia
Aung San Suu Kyi's (hopefully) unrestricted release is the beginning. She now needs all the patience, tolerance, pragmatism and compassion that her Buddhist background has engendered in her to guide her in leading the people of Burma to a decent existence. I hope the international community will do all they can to help her in her task. Myint Su, Scotland
I am proud that a Malaysian United Nations envoy was able to make a possible deal with the junta for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. I hope that she and her supporters will keep clear of violence by not retaliating against the junta for progress and develop together with other third world countries. I do admire the courage and will in her as a symbol of women in politics. May God bless her and the people of Burma. Udayaman Kutty, Malaysia
This indeed is the greatest news of the year. I hope the junta eventually realise the tremendous loss we have incurred. I now need to go back home and spend some lost time with long lost friends. Tin Mg Oo, Canada
I welcome the current situation but we haven't got democracy yet. Both sides need to practice and build a concrete relationship. All need to focus on what is the best for our country and let's move to build a stable democratic government as soon as possible with a careful approach. We can't afford to suffer again for power play. Maung Aung, USA
It's great news to see Aung San Suu Kyi free again. It must be a great lift for the Burmese people and her loyal supporters who have endured so much. Still it is only one step in the long journey to proper freedom and democracy. Best wishes to her. May her resolve remain strong. Baz D, Ireland
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This is not the first time that the Burmese military have carried out an action which seems to hint at loosening their control. They have carried out similar 'liberalisation' measures once every decade since the 1960s. Each time, the measures were carried out to test the waters, gauge the level of support for the opposition and to reaffirm military control thereafter. So frankly speaking, I am really sceptical about this latest move. Furthermore, the regime has just experienced an abortive coup, thus it is even more unlikely that it will want to loosen control now. Marilyn Lim, Singapore
I am very optimistic after hearing about the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. I hope our Japanese government will play its part in making the democracy talks easier. Yamada Taro, Japan
I hope it will bring significant change for the people of Burma who have been living under fear and oppression by the military government for far too long. They really deserve to finally join the world democratic community! Dave, Belgium
We should wait and see. The generals are very crafty, and some of them are evil genius. In their heart of hearts they just wants to maintain their power. Their follow up actions will speak louder than their words. Dr B T Win, Canada
Though there's a long way to go before we see the "real democracy" in Myanmar [Burma], the international community, beginning with Japan and other G-8 countries, should extend a welcome gesture to the regime, for taking this all important positive step towards national reconciliation (albeit seemingly reluctantly and under world pressure). Maung Win, Singapore
While I am happy that she has been released after many years, this appears to be nothing more than a political act done in reaction to world events. The international community should welcome her release but have a wait-and-see approach to see if this is real change or political blue smoke and mirrors. Wayne Robertson, USA
The Burmese military junta has been lying to its people and international community for over a decade - the world still has to be cautious about the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Unless the junta proves they are genuinely trying to improve the country's image, we should not be optimistic about this news yet. Thomas, USA
Burma's ruling military junta has freed nine jailed members of the National League of Democracy - the first political prisoners to be released since their leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, emerged from house arrest last week.
"They are all in good health and reunited with their respective families," said a statement from the office of the military spokesman.
About 290 political prisoners, mostly from the NLD, have been released since the ruling junta started reconciliation talks with Aung San Suu Kyi in October 2000, but human rights groups say about 1,500 more remain in jails.
The NLD leader said, on her release from 20 months of incarceration, that freeing not only her supporters, but all political prisoners, was one of her priorities.
Japanese visit
The nine NLD members' release came as the Nobel laureate met a top Japanese Foreign Ministry official, Taeko Takahashi - the most senior official to visit Aung San Suu Kyi since her release.
The pro-democracy leader is reported to have said that she plans to visit Japan, Burma's biggest aid donor, some time this year.
Mr Takahashi was also expected to meet Burmese economic minister Brigadier General David Abel later on Tuesday.
Burma's military government said last week that it will resume national reconciliation talks with Aung San Suu Kyi soon, aimed at breaking the country's political impasse.
The NLD won a landslide victory in 1990 elections but the military refused to hand over power.
But the junta has come under increasing pressure in recent months, as the international community has threatened tougher trade sanctions unless Burma reforms.
Aung San Suu Kyi tests freedom Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest by the military government on 6 May, has visited a suburban party office in the first real test of her new-found freedom.
Aung San Suu Kyi drove from Rangoon to Shwepyitha, a suburb less than 30 kilometres (20 miles) away, to meet activists and officials at her National League for Democracy's party office.
Aung San Suu Kyi says all restrictions on her have now been lifted, but analysts are watching this trip carefully to see how much the military government can tolerate her expanding political influence.
She was accompanied by NLD vice chairman Tin Oo and some youth members, said party officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Arriving at the party office she was greeted by a crowd who clapped, cheered and chanted, AP news agency reported.
A party source told AFP news agency: "This was a routine trip to one of the satellite township offices, which have been open since last year. She went to reorganise the youth group there".
In an interview on Thursday Aung San Suu Kyi said she was not expecting any problems.
"I don't think there will be any disturbance when I visit township offices," she told the Burmese-language service of Radio Free Asia.
The visit was especially poignant because the last time Aung San Suu Kyi tried to leave Rangoon for party business, in September 2000 - defying a government order against her travelling - the military junta put her under house arrest.
Confident
The NLD won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power. Since October 2000, Aung San Suu Kyi has been in secretive United Nations-brokered talks with the military to try to break the deadlock.
The UN special envoy brokering the Burma talks, Razali Ismail, on Thursday told reporters in New York that the military government
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was committed to making "the transition from military government to civilian constitutional government."
Aung San Suu Kyi's release had set the momentum he said.
By Somchai Suwanban Head of the BBC's Burmese ServiceAung San Suu Kyi has the revival of her National League for Democracy political party as one of her top priorities.
The military government has systematically dismantled the organisation and infrastructure of the NLD during the past 10 years.
Many NLD political workers and grass roots activists have been forced to abandon their membership, some coerced into joining the government-sponsored Union, Solidarity and Development Association (USDA).
The USDA has apparently become stronger during Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest and it could turn into a political party should there be an election.
It is essential for Aung San Suu Kyi to go out and meet demoralised NLD members in order to breath new life into the party which won an overwhelming majority in the May 1990 elections.
The party is now almost defunct and left with an ageing executive committee and little inspiration among the rank and file.
Aung San Suu Kyi needs to rebuild the NLD's political structure and attract younger members up and down the country to work with her, 'to empower the powerless' as she put it.
Slow process
Aung San Suu Kyi will also be pushing for the release of more political prisoners.
But this will be difficult. The military government has no interest in setting free key political activists who would be able to strengthen the NLD's political appeal.
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The government is actively supporting the USDA as a political proxy when the electoral battle lines are eventually drawn up.
But that may be a long way off. After almost 19 months of 'confidence building' talks, many people are now asking what comes next. Some ethnic leaders have said they want to be part of the next step.
But ethnic political aspiration has always been a thorny and complicated issue in Burmese politics. Some historians believe that the issue may be partly behind the 1947 assassination of Aung San, Aung San Suu Kyi's father.
After the confidence building phase, the military government and Aung San Suu Kyi will next engage in 'talk about talk' before the actual reconciliation can begin.
Burma has turned a new page, but it will take quite a long time to fill in the blanks.
The United States says it is encouraged that Burma's military leaders have so far lived up to their promise to allow the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to travel freely.
On Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi visited one of her party's offices on the outskirts of the capital, Rangoon, in what was seen as the first test of her political freedom since being released from house arrest earlier this month.
A spokesman for the US State Department, Richard Boucher, urged the Burmese regime to continue progress by scheduling substantive talks soon with Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy.
She was confined to her house in September 2000 after defying a government ban on travel outside Rangoon.
Despite America's warm words over Aung San Suu Kyi, President George W Bush renewed sanctions against Burma for another year.
The sanctions, which include investment restrictions, a visa ban and a bar on lending by international financial institutions, were
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imposed by then-President Bill Clinton in 1997, and have been renewed every year since.
Aids package
The United States told Burma's military rulers this week that they could expect a "positive response" from Washington if they moved their country towards democracy, after a 12-year-stalemate with Aung San Suu Kyi.
But far-reaching change in Burma still appears a long way off.
The United States said on Wednesday it was preparing an aid package to help tackle Burma's Aids crisis.
The decision has been seen as a small gesture to the Burmese regime, but may be intended to bolster United Nations envoy Razali Ismail's credibility as he tries to convince the military to offer genuine political reform.
Burma's opposition National League for Democracy has renewed its call for the military government to recognise the results of the 1990 general election, in which the NLD scored an overwhelming victory.
The NLD restated its demand as the party's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, addressed more than 1,000 members and several foreign diplomats on the 12th anniversary of the NLD's triumph in the polls.
At the largest political NLD gathering since Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest earlier this month, the opposition leader told a cheering crowd to be unified and to prepare to face hardships in their struggle for democracy.
There had been speculation that following her release from detention, the NLD might soften its stance on the 1990 election.
But a statement released by the party read: "Through... dialogue, a parliament with the elected representatives of the 1990 election must be convened to establish a democratic country."
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Suu Kyi's address
To chants of "long live Aung San Suu Kyi", the Nobel laureate, in a light blue traditional dress, pledged to act with integrity in her dealings with Burma's ruling junta, with whom she has been engaged in closed-door talks since October 2000.
"I will never deceive the people and will never do anything against the interest of the country and the people.
"I will not discuss important issues without consulting the NLD leaders and will never make any secret deals, which is undemocratic," she promised.
The NLD said in the statement that those talks should now be joined by Burma's ethnic nationalities, who are anxious for a role in any reform process.
The NLD also issued 21 resolutions explaining the party's demands in greater detail.
The head of the BBC's Burmese section, Somchai Suwanban, says democracy activists inside and outside the country will be scrutinising the NLD executive committee's statements and resolutions for any hint of the party's road map to democracy.
Burma's military rulers have renewed their efforts to isolate the democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi just weeks after releasing her from house arrest.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader has not met any senior military officials since her release on 6 May, and the generals have made no attempt to resume talks with her.
The two sides started secretive talks in October 2000, and Aung San Suu Kyi's release had seemed to signal the start of more substantive negotiations.
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Shortly after Aung San Suu Kyi was freed, Burma's deputy intelligence chief, Brigadier General Kyaw Win told journalists that both sides trusted each other and a new stage in the dialogue process would start soon - but that was more than four weeks ago.
Renewed restrictions
The generals are again trying to restrict the opposition leader's movements and political activities.
Since her release Aung San Suu Kyi has been visiting party offices and inspecting international aid projects.
It is these latter visits which worry the generals most. So far Aung San Suu Kyi has visited a UNICEF project and a hospital in the capital Rangoon - the Muslim Free Hospital.
Both times thousands of people gathered to glimpse Aung San Suu Kyi, according to Rangoon residents. When she visited the hospital, the traffic was brought to a standstill.
The opposition leader is anxious to see more aid projects, and many international groups working in Burma have invited her to visit their showcase projects.
On Wednesday Aung San Suu Kyi was scheduled to visit a Japanese non-governmental organisation, but the trip was cancelled by the government. Earlier the government also refused permission for the opposition leader to visit UN programmes in government buildings.
Essential work
Opposition sources say visiting these kinds of projects is an important part of the work of the NLD's central executive committee, as it prepares a report on the need for humanitarian assistance.
For some time NLD party leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, have been critical of UN aid programmes. They have suggested that a thorough examination be carried out of what money has been spent and what impact it has had on the lives of the poor before increased aid is considered.
NLD sources say its report on the humanitarian situation and the review of the party's policy on aid should be completed by the end of the month.
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This is crucial, they say, before the dialogue process can proceed onto substantive issues.
Threats
But while the NLD leaders are preparing for the talks to resume and move onto the next stage, Burma's generals appear more anxious to isolate Aung San Suu Kyi than engage her in fresh discussions about the country's future.
The generals certainly do not want her to be seen socially. After Aung San Suu Kyi attended a prominent wedding in Rangoon recently, the father of one of the couple - a former ambassador and now a prominent businessman - had all his government contracts cancelled and his mobile phone confiscated.
The military government has warned other businessmen that there would be severe repercussions if they have any contact with Aung San Suu Kyi.
The big test
When she was released, Aung San Suu Kyi said all restrictions upon her had been lifted, but the reality now seems very different.
The real test will be when she tries to make her first visit outside Rangoon. Opposition sources say she plans to do that within the next few weeks and Mandalay is the most likely destination.
It was her attempt to travel to that city by train that led to her being placed under house arrest in September 2000.
The Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has left the capital, Rangoon, for the first time since her release from house arrest last month.
She left her house early on Friday morning to on a pilgrimage to the Buddhist shrine at Thamanya mountain, 320 kilometres (200 miles) south-east of Rangoon.
She left quietly without prior announcement, apparently to ensure that she was not followed by crowds of supporters.
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The two-day excursion, to Karen state, is being seen as a test of her freedom of movement after years under travel restrictions and house arrest.
An attempt to leave Rangoon in August 2000 resulted in a nine-day stand-off when police blocked her car on a road.
She was eventually forced to return home.
An attempt to travel by train to Mandalay the following month, led to a period of house arrest, which lasted for 20 months until early May.
Private trip
Aung San Suu Kyi is a devout Buddhist, and she will meet a monk, U Viniya, at Thamanya mountain.
She visited the monk in 1995, after she was released from an earlier period of detention.
"The visit is a private pilgrimage," according to a source from her National League for Democracy (NLD).
She was accompanied by the NLD chairman Tin Oo and his wife.
The NLD easily won the 1990 elections, the last to be held in Burma, but the military has refused to give up power.
Aung San Suu Kyi has said she wanted to resume talks with army leaders as soon as possible.
But since her release from her latest period of detention on 6 May, the generals have made no attempt to resume talks with her.
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has launched a stinging criticism of the treatment of women in Burma.
In an address to mark her 57th birthday on Wednesday, she said Burmese women were rarely allowed to gain positions of importance and that the situation needed to change.
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She also praised them for their courage in overcoming the handicaps imposed on them - and appealed to them to play a greater role in paving the way for social, political and economic change.
Correspondents say she deliberately avoided a verbal attack on the Burmese Government, but some implicit criticism can be read into her statement.
Birthday message
Aung San Suu Kyi is Burma's main opposition leader, and her speech was directed at both women within the country and Burmese exiles.
"In Burma, as in many other parts of the world, women are the underprivileged gender," she said.
"In areas of conflict and crisis, it is our women and children who suffer most. On the other hand, our women are rarely allowed to achieve decision-making positions even though they are able and well qualified."
The pro-democracy leader also said women needed to reach their full potential for the country to make progress.
"The women of Burma must shape not only their own destiny but the destiny of the nation," she said.
They must play a vigorous and leading role in paving the way to social, political and economic changes in the country."
Aung San Suu Kyi went on to praise Burmese women for the courage they had shown in the past.
"Women have had to develop endurance and courage where they might overcome the handicaps imposed on them by outmoded prejudice."
"I would like to call upon the women of Burma to use this courage and endurance to ensure that we move forward as speedily as possible."
House arrest
Aung San Suu Kyi will be marking her birthday with the rare luxury of being free from the restrictions of house arrest.
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But little has been achieved since she was freed in May. The BBC's Larry Jagan says the junta that rules the country has so far not made any attempt to talk to her.
Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as the figurehead of the pro-democracy movement in Burma in 1988.
She was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and again from September 2000 to May this year.
Since her release she has so far kept a low profile and avoided gestures that could embarrass or anger the junta.
Although she is free to travel outside Rangoon she has only made one major trip, and that was a private pilgrimage rather than an effort to rally political support.
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made her first political trip outside the capital Rangoon since her release from house arrest last month.
She is due to visit the city of Mandalay, where she will meet officials from her political party, the National League for Democracy.
Her low-key but unhindered departure early on Saturday shows signs that the military government may be keeping a promise made at her release to allow her full political freedom.
Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest after breaking travel restrictions placed on her by the government.
Observers have previously said that a politically-motivated trip outside the capital would be the first true test of the regime's commitment to keep their promise.
Authorities told
The main reason for Aung San Suu Kyi's 10 day trip to Mandalay, Burma's second city which lies 380 miles (610 kilometres) north of the capital, is to visit members of the NLD, party officials said.
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En route, she will also visit the towns of Magwe, Kyaukpadaung and Natmauk.
In Natmauk the Nobel peace prize winner will visit the birthplace of her father, independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947.
A senior military intelligence officer said that Aung San Suu Kyi had informed the authorities of her planned trip in advance.
Asked if they had arranged security for her, the officer said: "They don't like us to follow them."
Religious trip
When she was released in May after 19 months of house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi said there were no restrictions on her movement.
But since then she has only made one trip outside the capital, which was a two-day private religious pilgrimage to see a revered Buddhist monk.
Her house arrest, from September 2000 until last month, was prompted by several high profile attempts to leave Rangoon in defiance of travel restrictions.
A bid to drive south of the capital in August 2000 led to a nine-day roadside stand-off after police blocked her car. Eventually, she was forcibly returned home, sparking an international outcry.
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party won Burma's last election with a landslide victory in 1990. But the military government refused to hand over power, and since then she has spent long periods under house arrest.
Many observers hoped that her release would signal a thaw in relations with Burma's ruling military junta.
But so far she has been largely ignored by the regime and has met no senior generals, dampening hopes for political progress.
Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been greeted by a crowd of several thousand people after she arrived in Mandalay on Wednesday.
The crowd filled the streets and climbed trees to witness her first political trip outside the capital Rangoon since her release from house arrest last month.
She was due to meet officials from her political party, the National League for Democracy, which won 1990 elections but was prevented from taking power.
The visit to Mandalay is highly symbolic because it was there that Aung San Suu Kyi was trying to visit when she was placed under house arrest in September 2000.
The opposition leader left the capital Rangoon by car early on Saturday and has been stopping off at towns on the way to make speeches to party activists.
Her visit so far has been low-key but unhindered - showing signs that the military government may be keeping a promise made at her release to allow her full political freedom.
Father's birthplace
Observers say the trip to Mandalay, which is 610 kilometres (380 miles) north of Rangoon, is the first real test of how committed the military is to keeping its promise.
An overnight trip outside Rangoon earlier this month was a private visit to a Buddhist monk.
"Her visit is going smoothly and successfully," NLD secretary U Lwin told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who turned 57 last week, is the daughter of Burma's independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to bring democracy to Burma, and has spent long periods under house arrest.
A senior military intelligence officer last week said Aung San Suu Kyi had informed the authorities of her planned trip in advance.
Asked if they had arranged security for her, the officer said: "They don't like us to follow them."
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Many observers hoped that Aung San Suu Kyi's release would signal a thaw in relations with Burma's ruling military junta. But so far she has been largely ignored by the regime and has met no senior generals, dampening hopes for political progress.
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's first unhindered political trip outside the capital was "successful" and she plans to make similar trips, party officials have said.
Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Rangoon on Sunday night after a nine-day tour during which she met local officials of her National League for Democracy (NLD) in several towns as well as in Mandalay, Burma's second city.
Crowds of people in Mandalay had filled the streets and climbed trees to witness Aung San Suu Kyi's first political trip outside Rangoon since her release from house arrest in May.
Analysts say the military government has decided to try being constructive towards the pro-democracy leader, having faced years of international criticism.
It was the first real test of the junta's promise when it released Aung San Suu Kyi that she would be able to travel freely.
Long struggle
The visit to Mandalay, 610 kilometres (380 miles) north of Rangoon, was highly symbolic because it was there that Aung San Suu Kyi was trying to visit when she was placed under house arrest in September 2000.
"It was a very successful political trip," said NLD spokesman U Lwin.
The NLD overwhelmingly won 1990 elections but the military junta refused to hand over power.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 57, is the daughter of Burma's independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to bring democracy to Burma, and has spent long periods under house arrest.
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Many observers hoped Aung San Suu Kyi's release would signal a thaw in relations with Burma's ruling military junta. But so far she has been largely ignored by the regime and has met no senior generals, dampening hopes for political progress.
Thousands of cheering supporters have greeted the Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is venturing outside the capital for the second time since being released from house arrest in May.
As she opened new offices of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in Moulmein, south-east of Rangoon, once-forbidden songs played.
About 3,000 clapping people jammed Moulmein's main street as she arrived.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 57, told supporters only the people had the right to decide the nation's fate and her party would persevere in the building of a democratic system.
She is also expected to meet ethnic minority groups such as the Mon, Karen and Pa-O on her four-day tour outside Rangoon.
An NLD spokesman said the military was providing tight security for her trip, but was not following her everywhere.
Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Burma's independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947.
She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to bring democracy to Burma, and has spent long periods under house arrest.
Many observers hoped Aung San Suu Kyi's release in May would signal a thaw in relations with Burma's ruling military junta.
But so far she has been largely ignored by the regime and has met no senior generals, dampening hopes for political progress.
The government began a dialogue in October 2000, but officials say the talks have yet to move beyond confidence building.
The United Nations special envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, has arrived in Rangoon at the start of a visit aimed at promoting dialogue between the military authorities and the opposition.
Mr Razali was met at the airport by the deputy foreign minister, Khin Maung Win, and UN officials.
During his five-day visit he is to meet members of the government, the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and diplomats.
Mr Razali helped secure Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest in May. Correspondents say the euphoria among the Burmese opposition over her freedom has given way to questions about when the authorities will open talks with her.
Hopes of progress
"The secretary-general hopes that Mr Razali's mission, the first since political freedom was restored to Aung San Suu Kyi in May, will provide the process with added momentum so that the two sides can start their substantive dialogue in the near future," a UN statement said.
Aung San Suu Kyi has been afforded full political freedom since her release, with two trips outside the capital unhindered by the military.
But she has had no talks with the ruling generals.
The talks that she began with the junta in October 2000 never moved beyond the 'confidence-building stage'.
Mr Razali is scheduled to meet three ministers on Friday afternoon.
He is due to hold talks with the SPDC's powerful first secretary, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, and then with Aung San Suu Kyi, on Saturday morning.
During his five-day visit, Mr Razali is also due to meet with international non-governmental organisations and ethnic minority groups.
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His arrival on Friday coincided with the release by democracy activists in the US of photographs which are purported to show the bodies of 12 villagers from Karen state allegedly massacred by the military.
His trip also coincides with a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, who arrives on Saturday. She is the highest ranking official from Burma's biggest aid donor to visit since 1983.
Sanctions remain
Mr Razali said after Aung San Suu Kyi's release that the US-led economic sanctions on Burma were likely to remain until it was clear that the junta was co-operating with the democracy leader, whose party won national elections in 1989 but was never allowed to assume power.
He also said that reconciliation should include the release of political prisoners.
At least 297 members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and 41 other political prisoners have been released since the start of the reconciliation talks.
According to official figures, another 261 members of the opposition party remain in prison. It is not known how many non-NLD political prisoners are detained.
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi has encouraged Burmese leaders to break down more barriers with the country's opposition.
She told both the ruling military chiefs and pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi to talk to each other, adding that Tokyo - Burma's largest aid donor and creditor - would be willing to provide assistance to help modernisation.
Ms Kawaguchi held an hour of talks with Aung San Suu Kyi after a similar period of discussions with General Than Shwe in the first visit to Burma, also known as Myanmar, by a Japanese foreign minister since 1983.
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Burma's capital Rangoon is also hosting a United Nations delegation and visits by senior Thai and Malaysian diplomats are in the offing.
BBC Burma analyst Larry Jagan says Japan is keen to emphasise its different, less confrontational approach to Burma compared with the US and Europe.
He says Ms Kawaguchi's visit was intended to underline the special relationship Japan believes it has with Burma and the way it thinks it can work with both the generals and the pro-democracy sector.
Both Japan and the UN envoy Razali Ismail believe that economic and political reform must go hand in hand, but our correspondent says critics claim Japan's view are more a reflection of the country's economic and business interests in Burma than support for democratic change.
Aid pledged
Ms Kawaguchi renewed offers of future assistance, despite reports of international disquiet at the way Tokyo has promised help before reforms are evident.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said Ms Kawaguchi told General Than Shwe and other members of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) that aid could be provided for democratisation and nation-building.
"She encouraged the SPDC to promote political dialogue further," the official said.
"Also, she emphasised the importance of attracting foreign capital through economic reforms... and she encouraged the SPDC to move ahead further with its reconciliation with minorities."
Though Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest in May, there is yet to be substantial discussion between her opposition National League for Democracy party and the military junta.
UN envoy Razali Ismail is also in Rangoon pushing for a furthering of the reconciliation dialogue he is credited as having brokered in the first place.
He and Ms Kawaguchi are among a number of international officials with whom Aung San Suu Kyi is engaging.
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She was reported on Monday to be seeking a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who will visit Burma later this month.
Thailand's Foreign Affairs Minister Surakiart Sathirathai is also planning a trip to Burma to discuss border tension.
Wednesday, 7 August, 2002, 08:03 GMT 09:03 UK
Suu Kyi predicts talks 'within weeks'
The Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has said she hopes talks with the country's military rulers will begin within weeks.
Speaking to the BBC, Aung San Suu Kyi said she was ready to discuss anything and would rule nothing out, including a temporary power-sharing agreement with the generals.
"I keep my mind quite open. I don't have anything fixed in my own mind as to whether I would share or not share. We are not going to go into this dialogue with pre-conceived ideas."
Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest in May.
Her statement came after the UN envoy, Razali Ismail, said he was confident he had narrowed the differences between the military and opposition.
Aung San Suu Kyi's party won national elections in 1989, but she was never allowed to assume power after the junta brutally suppressed the pro-democracy protests.
Reconciliation talks
Aung San Suu Kyi now enjoys full political freedom, but there is yet to be substantial discussion between her opposition National League for Democracy party and the military.
Despite Mr Razali's efforts at pushing for a furthering of the reconciliation dialogue, Aung San Suu Kyi said the differences remained.
"Basically it's to do with the speed at which the democratic process is going.
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"We have been very worried about the delays with regard to the release of political prisoners, and the delays with regard to the initiation of dialogue."
She also said any dialogue would eventually have to include representatives of Burma's minority tribes, some of whom have been waging an armed rebellion against the government.
'Not a visionary'
Aung San Suu Kyi said she had no ill feelings towards the military for her long imprisonment and the ban to see her family.
"I don't have any feelings of bitterness. I don't know what that means. I don't see why I should harbour feelings of bitterness."
She said she and her colleagues were not looking back, and that their belief kept them going.
But she said she wanted aggression and suffering in Burma to end.
"I am not a visionary, but what I would really like for the country is a little less aggro all around. I want my people to be able to progress in relative peace and security."
Burmese opposition groups have called on the ruling military junta to begin political dialogue and release all political prisoners.
The call came as the opposition marked the 14th anniversary of the start of the pro-democracy movement on 8 August 1988. The army eventually crushed the movement, killing hundreds.
On Wednesday, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi issued a new plea for international pressure on Burma's military rulers to release more than 1,000 dissidents still held in jail.
Aung San Suu Kyi was herself freed from 19 months of house arrest in May and is now using the detention of political prisoners as a measure for Burma's progress.
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The Nobel peace laureate issued a video statement insisting that the military rulers of Burma release all dissidents quickly or the country would fail to bring about democracy.
In a separate interview, Aung San Suu Kyi told the BBC she hoped to begin talks with members of the ruling junta "within weeks" and the UN Burma envoy said hostility between the two sides was being reduced.
In the video, made in Burma's capital Rangoon on an unspecified date, Aung San Suu Kyi said: "The release of political prisoners is the most important thing for all those who truly wish to bring about change in Burma."
The message, released by the Alt-Asean human rights group, continued: "We would like to call upon everybody who cares for the future of Burma to support the request, the demand for the release of all political prisoners, speedily and unconditionally.
"Unless political organisations are free to go about their work unhindered and unintimidated by the authorities, we can never say that we have started the process toward democracy."
Piecemeal releases
Aung San Suu Kyi said many detainees had been locked up because of their political affiliations, but had been charged with non-political crimes.
The military began piecemeal prisoner releases from October 2000 after it entered into closed-door reconciliation talks with the opposition.
Around 300 dissidents have been released, but 1,000 are still imprisoned and initial gestures of goodwill have yet to become substantive talks between the two sides.
Aung San Suu Kyi told the BBC she was concerned about the slow progress but was ready to talk and would rule nothing out, including a temporary power-sharing agreement with the generals.
"I keep my mind quite open. I don't have anything fixed in my own mind as to whether I would share or not share. We are not going to go into this dialogue with pre-conceived ideas."
Her statement came after the UN envoy, Razali Ismail, said he was confident he had narrowed the differences between the military and opposition.
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He said Aung San Suu Kyi might soon be allowed to travel to neighbouring countries and be permitted to return to Burma, an option long denied her.
Aung San Suu Kyi's party won national elections in 1989, but she was never allowed to assume power after the junta brutally suppressed the pro-democracy protests.
Burma's military junta has freed 14 political prisoners just days after opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for the release of all dissidents as a precondition for national reconciliation.
Around 1,000 prisoners of conscience are estimated to remain behind bars in Burma. But hopes are rising that the two sides are moving closer to holding substantive talks.
The UN envoy to Burma, Razali Ismail, said earlier this week that he believed Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling generals could progress to discussing political issues from their previous, confidence-building talks.
Aung San Suu Kyi said she was willing to talk to the military rulers of Burma - also known as Myanmar. But she has also demanded freedom for all dissidents in the country.
She was released from her latest period of house arrest in May and the government said six of the 14 released prisoners were members of her National League for Democracy.
It is estimated that 250 members of the NLD remain behind bars but the military junta said many of them could soon be free.
"The government of Myanmar will continue to release more individuals who will cause no harm to the community nor threaten the existing peace, stability and the unity of the nation," it said in a statement.
Signs of progress
The BBC's Burma analyst, Larry Jagan, says prisoner releases are the only evidence that the generals and opposition are making any progress in their secret dialogue.
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He says more than 400 dissidents had been freed since the talks began nearly two years ago, adding that the latest releases were a clear response to demands that the military leadership show it is sincere in it commitment to democratic reform.
The remaining NLD activists should be freed in the next few months as part of the 500 or so political prisoners that the junta has told the UN envoy it would release, our correspondent says.
Analysts said the main factor pushing the Burmese government to talk to the opposition is its desire to see international sanctions eased and the return of aid and investment.
But there may be some delay while overseas nations wait to see if the reforms are genuine.
The party of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi won a landslide election victory in 1990 but the military has not let them take power.
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi says she is very concerned about recent reports that Burmese soldiers raped more than 600 ethnic Shan women and girls.
In an interview with a Thai newspaper, the English-language Nation, Aung San Suu Kyi said it was terrible that any Burmese people should feel targeted as an ethnic group.
The United States has already expressed concern over the rape allegations made by two Shan human rights groups.
Burma's military government has rejected the allegations that its troops used rape as a weapon of war against the Shan minority in the north-eastern border region with Thailand.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is beginning a two-day visit to Burma on Sunday.
Officials in Kuala Lumpur say Doctor Mahathir is likely to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, during his trip.
While most Western governments have attempted to isolate Burma's military dictatorship, Malaysia has been at the forefront of international efforts to urge its generals to adopt more democratic principles.
Observers believe the prime minister's visit will be significant, because he is expected to privately urge Burma's generals to engage in dialogue with the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy.
Asean link
The Malaysian prime minister has been a key supporter of Burma's military government.
Doctor Mahathir is an influential figure in Rangoon.
He was instrumental in helping Burma join Asean, the region's powerful political and trade bloc.
Most Western countries have not been so supportive.
The European Union and the United States have imposed sanctions to punish the dictatorship.
Compromise call
NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest in May, has told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz she is ready to compromise with the country's military rulers.
"Dialogue always entails compromise," Haaretz quoted her as saying.
There are no firm plans for her to see Doctor Mahathir, although officials have said a meeting was likely.
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Progress towards political reforms in the former British colony has been painfully slow.
Both sides are still extremely wary of each other and are engaging in confidence-building before any formal discussions can take place.
Burma's generals have insisted they are committed to democracy, but have said moving too fast could cause the multi-ethnic country to fall apart.
The army has held power for 40 years. Hundreds of political prisoners have been released by the military authorities in recent months, including six on Friday.
These are seen as more positive signs that talks on reconciliation could take place sooner rather than later.
Monday, 19 August, 2002, 07:51 GMT 08:51 UK Burma warns against 'hasty' change
There has been frustration at the slow pace of progressA senior leader in Burma's military junta has insisted it will not be hurried in moving towards more open government.
The junta has been pressed by the US and Europe to speed up a reconciliation process underway with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
But Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt told visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad that Burma would move towards "democracy" at its own speed.
"Such a transition cannot be done in haste and in a haphazard manner. The world is full of examples where a hasty transition from one system to another led to unrest, instability and even failed states," he told a conference attended by Dr Mahathir.
Dr Mahathir, visiting Burma mainly to promote Malaysian business interests, tacitly backed the junta's position.
"We are aware that the process of change must be gradual," he said.
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The military government freed Aung San Suu Kyi from almost 20 months of house arrest in May, but has since seemed wary about beginning talks on substantive change.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won Burma's last election in 1990, but was never allowed to take power.
During his two-day visit, Dr Mahathir also met military leader General Than Shwe.
He was not expected to meet Aung San Suu Kyi. Some reports said the military blocked the meeting.
Dr Mahathir, who is being accompanied by a 300-strong delegation of Malaysian business leaders and officials, is widely seen as a strong supporter of engaging the diplomatically-isolated Rangoon government.
He was instrumental in helping Burma join the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), a regional trade grouping.
Sunday, 8 September, 2002, 04:44 GMT 05:44 UK EU to demand full Burma talks
By Larry Jagan BBC correspondent in Bangkok
A European Union delegation has arrived in the Burmese capital Rangoon for three days of talks with the government and the opposition.
The delegates are scheduled to meet government ministers, including the military intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and representatives of the ethnic minorities.
Since the EU troika last visited Burma earlier this year, the military authorities have released the opposition leader from house arrest, and earlier this week they said eight political prisoners and 39 women were freed.
This EU mission will be trying to assess what progress has been made in the dialogue process since her release.
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The mission includes senior diplomats from Denmark, which holds the current EU presidency, Greece, next in line to take over the presidency, and the European Commission.
Calls for talks
EU officials are not optimistic that this latest mission to Rangoon will produce any serious concessions from the military junta.
But it will give the senior European diplomats an opportunity to assess what progress has been made in Burma, also known as Myanmar, since the opposition leader's release four months ago.
The EU team will be urging the generals to release all the country's political prisoners as soon as possible, and to start substantive political talks with the opposition leader.
The delegation's meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi will be very important in the EU's decision on whether they need to relax their isolation of Rangoon in the near future.
The last EU mission - in March - met only lower-level government ministers and officials.
'Actions, not promises'
This time, according to EU officials, the delegation is scheduled to meet the country's third most powerful general, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt.
Last time he said he was too busy to meet the members of the troika.
The fact that such a high-level meeting has been arranged is significant, and shows how important the junta is taking this visit.
But the military authorities will have to prove their commitment to political change with concrete actions, not just promises, a senior EU official told the BBC.
The very minimum, he said, would be a meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and a senior general to discuss a tentative agenda for political talks.
Only then would the EU seriously consider changing its common position on Burma.
The first European Union delegation to Burma since opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released in May has been holding talks in the capital Rangoon.
In the course of the three day visit the delegates are scheduled to meet government ministers, including the military intelligence chief, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt and Aung San Suu Kyi.
On Sunday they met with ethnic minority leaders who called for the release of political prisoners and the setting up of a national parliament, a local politician reported.
The visit by the four-member EU team is aimed at promoting political reconciliation within Burma. The junta has not held substantive talks with Aung San Suu Kyi since her release.
Calls for parliament
The mission includes senior diplomats from Denmark, which holds the current EU presidency, Greece, next in line to take over the presidency, and the European Commission.
In two separate meetings on Sunday the delegates met representatives from eight ethnic groups, said Dr Saw Mra Aung, chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy, an unregistered political party.
Members of the Shan, Rakine and Mon ethnic groups told the delegates that they supported political reconciliation, the release of political prisoners and the revival of banned political parties.
They are also striving for the convening of a national parliament based on the results of the disputed election in 1990.
The BBC's Burma analyst, Larry Jagan, said that the EU officials are not optimistic that this latest mission to Rangoon will produce any serious concessions from the military junta.
But it will give the senior European diplomats an opportunity to assess what progress has been made in Burma, since Aung San Suu Kyi was released.
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The EU team will be urging the generals to release all the country's political prisoners as soon as possible, and to start substantive political talks with the opposition leader.
The EU maintains stringent restrictions on Burma and correspondents say the meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi will be instrumental in deciding whether they need to relax their isolation of Rangoon in the near future.
But the military authorities will have to prove their commitment to political change with concrete actions, not just promises, a senior EU official told the BBC.
The very minimum, he said, would be a meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and a senior general to discuss a tentative agenda for political talks.
Only then would the EU seriously consider changing its common position on Burma.
A delegation from the European Union has met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the final day of a mission aimed at promoting political reconciliation within Burma.
It is the first EU visit since Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in May, and it provides the senior European diplomats with an opportunity to assess what political progress, if any, has been made.
No details of the talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, held at her party headquarters in Rangoon, are available.
The EU team, which arrived in the Burmese capital on Sunday, is expected to meet the ruling junta's third-ranking leader, Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, later on Tuesday.
It hopes to speed up the dialogue between the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and the military regime and to press for prisoner releases.
The junta has not held substantive talks with Aung San Suu Kyi since her release.
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Reviewing restrictions
The BBC's Burma analyst, Larry Jagan, says the fact that the EU group will meet the powerful Khin Nyunt shows how seriously the junta is taking this visit.
Last time the EU delegates were in Burma, the military leader said he was too busy to meet them.
They have already met Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win, international non-governmental organisations and representatives of ethnic minority parties in Burma.
But our correspondent says that the EU officials are not optimistic that this latest mission will produce any serious concessions from the junta.
A senior EU official told the BBC that the minimum movement required for the Union to ease its stringent restrictions on Burma would be a meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and a senior general to discuss a tentative agenda for political talks.
The European Union has urged Burma to speed up political progress, saying the EU will respond positively to any development.
The statement followed a three-day visit by an EU delegation to Rangoon, which ended on Tuesday.
The mission was designed to encourage political dialogue between the ruling junta and the opposition, and to push for the release of political prisoners
The delegation met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but failed to meet any of the military leaders. Their scheduled meeting with the regime's number three, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, was cancelled.
Sanctions
"The EU stands ready to respond positively and proportionately to substantive improvements in the political climate of the country," the bloc's statement said.
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The junta has not held substantive talks with Aung San Suu Kyi since she was released from house arrest in May.
The EU maintains stringent restrictions on Burma as a result of the political impasse.
It gives humanitarian assistance to the impoverished country but imposes a number of sanctions, including a ban on all other bilateral aid, an arms embargo, and a visa ban on senior Burmese officials.
Aung San Suu Kyi told the visiting diplomats that she was "neutral" on the economic sanctions. Her party spokesman, U Lwin, said the Nobel Laureate believed it was up to outside administrations to formulate their own policy.
In the past Aung San Suu Kyi was viewed as a key supporter of the sanctions.
When asked if the delegation had made any significant progress, the spokesman said: "The EU has only been meeting with salesmen and not with the manager."
"So far, the meetings have been with low-level people. How can you consider this to be significant?"
The diplomats met Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win, international non-governmental organisations and representatives of ethnic minority parties in Burma.
Burmese officials said the meeting with Khin Nyunt was called off because he was out of town and his return was delayed by heavy rain.
Last time the EU visited Rangoon, the general said he was too busy to meet them.
Burma's Foreign Minister Win Aung has said his country's border with Thailand - shut since a diplomatic row in May - will be reopened.
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Win Aung made the announcement following what he described as "friendly and fruitful" talks with his Thai opposite number, Surakiart Sathirathai, and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Win Aung gave no date for the re-opening, but said that trade would resume along the border "in a few weeks".
Burma closed its border with Thailand on 22 May after the Thai army fired shells into Burma during a battle between the Burmese army and ethnic Shan rebels.
Thailand said its forces opened fire only when the fighting spilled over the border, but Burma accused them of trying to aid the rebels.
Common ground
Win Aung said that Burma did not want conflict with Thailand "because we live in the same region, share the same culture".
Mr Surakiart said a Thai foreign ministry delegation would visit the Burmese capital, Yangon, next week to work on the details of the border agreement.
He said the talks with Win Aung had also focused on co-operating in the fight against illegal drugs and the repatriation of 500,000 Burmese illegally working in Thailand.
The Thai foreign minister added that his counterpart had reassured Prime Minister Thaksin that dialogue with Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was progressing.
Earlier, Win Aung told reporters: "There are people who are meeting with her. I am not the one who is meeting her but they are our people."
Damaging row
The diplomatic row between Burma and Thailand sparked a flurry of protests and crippled bilateral trade.
Burmese newspapers carried a number of articles in the wake of the border clash which were seen as critical of the Thai monarchy.
In an effort to repair that damage, Win Aung had a royal audience with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has been invited to pay an official visit to Burma this year.
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Last month, in another bridge-building exercise, Mr Surakiart travelled to Rangoon to try to ease the tension. Afterwards he said relations between the two sides had "normalised".
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has ended his visit to Burma after talks with the ruling military junta.
He left the capital Rangoon after a one-day visit - the first by an Australian minister for nearly 20 years.
Mr Downer met top members of the government and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest in May.
But speaking in Bangkok, Mr Downer gave a downbeat summary of his meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi.
"She is not very confident that a great deal of progress is going to be made," he said.
The visit was part of a continuing effort by governments and the United Nations to engage the military government in dialogue.
Before her release from house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi had been in secretive talks with the government but there has been little apparent progress since then. Many diplomats remain sceptical about the junta's commitment to change.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military refused to give up power.
Economic warning
Before his visit, Mr Downer told the BBC he would warn the military of the economic "consequences" of failing to make changes. The country is suffering an economic crisis compounded by years of sanctions over its refusal to reform.
Burma "needs to understand" that it will only get poorer without outside help, Mr Downer told The World Today radio programme.
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Mr Downer said he was also going to Burma to provide support for Aung San Suu Kyi.
"If they had refused to allow me to see her then I wouldn't have been prepared to make the visit," Mr Downer said.
Australia has criticised Burma over human rights issues but has kept diplomatic channels open.
On Thursday Mr Downer was due to meet members of the Thai Government during a brief stop-over in Bangkok.
Mr Downer is then scheduled to travel to Indonesia and Malaysia.
The United Nations human rights envoy to Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has met the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, for the first time since her release from house arrest in May.
Mr Pinheiro said the talks were focused on the prospects for dialogue between Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling military junta, but he did not comment on progress.
Correspondents say hopes for political reform in Burma were raised by Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest, but have subsequently receded.
After a visit to Rangoon earlier this month, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Aung San Suu Kyi was "not very confident" about the junta's promises to work towards democracy.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) overwhelmingly won 1990 elections but the military government refused to hand over power.
Critical reports
Mr Pinheiro, who is in Burma until next Monday, has already met the junta's intelligence chief, Khin Nyunt, and visited political prisoners in Rangoon.
The junta invited Mr Pinheiro to try to ward off recent allegations of human rights abuses, including systematic rape by the army.
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Two organisations representing the Shan community said in a report earlier this year that Burmese troops had raped more than 600 Shan girls and women since 1996.
Diplomats say Burma is desperate to attract foreign investment, but the US and several European countries show no sign of lifting political and economic sanctions against the isolated state.
French oil giant under fire
With Burma's human rights record under scrutiny, French oil giant TotalFinaElf has denied allegations it has profited from forced labour in Burma.
The company was singled out in a report published by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).
The organisation alleged forced labourers were used to build roads and infrastructure in connection with a gas pipeline operated by TotalFinaElf in the south of Burma.
The company has described the accusation as pure lies, insisting it has always respected employees' rights.
But ICFTU, who says the Burmese army increasingly forces civilians to work, has called on the European Union to ban European investments in Burma at a meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday.
A team from the International Labour Organisation, which has condemned Burma for failing to end forced labour, has arrived in the country this week.
The junta said in a statement that the International Labour Organisation mission would "assist and further develop Myanmar's labour practices".
The military on Tuesday said it "welcomed" the visit.
"We welcome this mission and pledge to assist and cooperate fully with the efforts of the ILO," said government spokesman Colonel Hla Min.
The United Nations human rights envoy to Burma, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has wrapped up an 11-day mission to the military-ruled country by holding talks with the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
It was Mr Pinheiro's second meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit, which had included meetings with political prisoners, judicial officials, state security chiefs, diplomats and ethnic parties.
Mr Pinheiro spent more than an hour with the Nobel peace laureate and other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) at the party's Rangoon headquarters, witnesses said.
The NLD overwhelmingly won 1990 elections but the military government refused to hand over power.
Hopes for political reform in Burma were raised when Aung San Suu Kyi's was released from house arrest in May, but there has been little visible progress since then.
After a visit to Rangoon earlier this month, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Aung San Suu Kyi was "not very confident" about the junta's promises to work towards democracy.
Human rights
The junta invited Mr Pinheiro to try to ward off recent allegations of human rights abuses, including systematic rape by members of the army.
Two organisations representing the Shan community said in a report earlier this year that Burmese troops had raped more than 600 Shan girls and women since 1996.
Mr Pinheiro spent three days in Karen and Mon states as part of his investigation, but turned down a government offer to visit Shan state saying there was not enough time to make a full evaluation.
Aung San Suu Kyi and Mr Pinheiro were expected to discuss the issue of political prisoners. Human rights groups say more than 1,000 political prisoners are still being held, and the opposition leader has been demanding their release.
On Sunday, Mr Pinheiro met several political prisoners at the Tharawaddy prison, about 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of the capital. He also met prisoners in Rangoon's main Insein prison last week.
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The envoy was due to leave Burma late on Monday. He is expected to present his report to the UN general assembly next month.
Diplomats say Burma is desperate to attract foreign investment, but the US and several European countries show no sign of lifting political and economic sanctions against the isolated state.
The United Nations envoy to Burma has begun a fresh visit to Rangoon reportedly frustrated by the country's lack of democratic reform.
Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail helped broker landmark talks in October 2000 between the military junta and the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
But the talks have made little progress since May when Aung San Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest.
Mr Razali will be meeting both sides during his five-day visit, including the junta's top leader General Than Shwe.
Western pressure
Mr Razali is thought to be deeply disappointed that the junta has released just a handful of the more than 1,000 political prisoners believed to be in Burma's jails.
He hinted at his frustration with the lack of progress in an interview with Reuters news agency before his departure.
"I do not want to be the special envoy that wanders around for 15 years doing things with no light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
The United States and European Union have issued separate statements urging the Burmese junta to move towards reform.
"Given such a positive step earlier this year, we expected that dialogue between the regime in Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi would be underway by now," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
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United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan also expressed his concern that the momentum generated by the opposition leader's release "could dissipate, unless some tangible progress is made in the near future".
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy overwhelmingly won 1990 elections but the military government refused to hand over power.
The Burmese Government is under pressure to reform as the economy is in crisis and it badly needs foreign aid.
The Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has completed her longest political tour outside the capital, Rangoon, since the country's military rulers first placed her under house arrest 13 years ago.
She is back in Rangoon after a 15-day trip to the ethnically-troubled Shan state in the north-east of the country.
The visit was the most sensitive of the four she has made to different parts of Burma since her last period of detention ended in May, because of claims of serious abuses there by the Burmese army.
Human rights group allege that Shan women and girls have been systematically raped, and children forcibly conscripted.
Thursday, 5 December, 2002, 09:06 GMT Obituary: Ne Win
The former Burmese dictator Ne Win, who has died aged 91, was a ruthless and corrupt figure whose 26 year-rule helped cause the country's economic decline.
During this time, his brutal regime curtailed human and political rights and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.
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Most notably, Ne Win's hand-picked successors placed Aung San Suu Kyi, the dissident politician and daughter of a former colleague, under house arrest following pro-democracy protests in 1988.
Ne Win was born Shu Maung - "apple of one's eye" - in Paungdale, central Burma, on 24 May 1911.
The son of a minor civil servant, Shu Maung left university in Rangoon after failing a biology exam in 1931.
Disillusioned with British colonial rule, he joined the Dobama Asiayone (Our Burma Association), where he became involved with the country's two most eminent nationalist leaders, Aung San (father of Aung San Suu Kyi) and U Nu.
In 1941, together with other members of the group, now known as the Thirty Companions, Shu Maung was smuggled out of Burma to be trained by the Japanese, who themselves had designs on south-east Asia.
On 26 December 1941, the Burma Independence Army (BIA) was formed and, in celebration, Shu Maung became Ne Win, or "brilliant as the sun".
Invaded
But after Japan invaded Burma, Ne Win and others became convinced that Japan wanted to colonise rather than liberate the country.
By now Chief of the Army, Ne Win, together with his colleagues, bridled at their involvement in a puppet government and secretly plotted against the Japanese.
When the British returned in December 1944, a greatly expanded Burmese Army, under Ne Win, dispersed into the Irrawaddy Delta before fighting a bitter guerrilla war against the Japanese which culminated in British authority being restored the following August.
Burma finally achieved independence, outside the British Commonwealth, on 4 January 1948, but the dream of nationhood soon soured.
Independence unleashed political and ethnic tensions and brought with it a prolonged guerrilla war.
Coup
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The assassination of prominent figures, including Aung San the previous year, sullied the political climate.
Now a General and Defence Minister, Ne Win, together with Prime Minister U Nu, ruled Burma for a decade until U Nu's government collapsed in 1958 and Ne Win took over as caretaker Prime Minister.
Following elections, a second U Nu government came to grief on 1 March 1962 when Ne Win staged a successful coup and arrested the former Prime Minister.
Justifying his action as giving Burma a government appropriate to its needs, he issued a 28-point manifesto titled "The Burmese Way to Socialism".
This promised to remove the "pernicious" economic system through "political and economic mysticism".
The truth was anything but mystical. Burma became a one-party state, foreign businesses were forced to leave and their assets were nationalised.
A devotee of Marx and Stalin, Ne Win brutally crushed all opposition and clashes between students and the military were common, usually with fatal consequences for the demonstrators.
Bathed in dolphins' blood
Ne Win was a distant, reclusive figure, addicted to the more vulgar variants of Buddhism. He was said to have bathed in dolphins' blood to regain his youth and his dedication to numerology was legendary.
Addicted to the power of numbers, he instructed that the national currency, the kyat, should be issued in denominations of 45 and 90 because they were divisible by his lucky number, nine.
But it was his decision to resign on an auspicious day, 8 August 1988 (8.8.88) which was to have the most far-reaching consequences.
The student protests which accompanied Ne Win's retirement provoked a bloodbath. Up to 10,000 demonstrators are believed to have been killed, some with unspeakable cruelty.
The chief opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was arrested and put under house arrest, where she remained until 1995, before being detained again between 2000-2002.
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In recent years, Ne Win's influence has waned. Earlier this year, members of Ne Win's family were arrested and accused of plotting to overthrow the current military government.
Since then, Ne Win has been under virtual house arrest at his lakeside villa with only his favourite daughter, Sandar Win, for company.
Ne Win's three grandsons and son-in-law were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
Ne Win's legacy is a tragic one. Once a rich country, Myanmar (the name changed in 1988) is now an isolated and poor place.
For most Burmese, Ne Win will be remembered as the man who took the country from prosperity to poverty.
1057 - King Anawrahta founds the first unified Burmese state at Pagan and adopts Theravada Buddhism.
1287 - Mongols under Kublai Khan conquer Pagan.
1531 - Toungoo dynasty, with Portuguese help, reunites Burma.
1755 - Alaungpaya founds the Konbaung dynasty with Rangoon as its capital.
1824-26 - First Anglo-Burmese war ends with the Treaty of Yandabo, according to which Burma ceded the Arakan coastal strip, between Chittagong and Cape Negrais, to British India.
1852 - Britain annexes lower Burma, including Rangoon, following the second Anglo-Burmese war.
1885-86 - Britain captures Mandalay after a brief battle; Burma becomes a province of British India.
1937 - Britain separates Burma from India and makes it a crown colony.
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Japanese occupation
1942 - Japan invades and occupies Burma with some help from the Japanese-trained Burma Independence Army, which later transforms itself into the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) and resists Japanese rule.
1945 - Britain liberates Burma from Japanese occupation with help from the AFPFL, led by Aung San.
1947 - Aung San and six members of his interim government assassinated by political opponents led by U Saw, a nationalist rival of Aung San's. U Nu, foreign minister in Ba Maw's government, which ruled Burma during the Japanese occupation, asked to head the AFPFL and the government.
Independence
1948 - Burma becomes independent with U Nu as prime minister.
Mid-1950s - U Nu, together with Indian Prime Minister Nehru, Indonesian President Sukarno, Yugoslav President Tito and Egyptian President Nasser co-found the Movement of Non-Aligned States.
1958-60 - Caretaker government, led by army Chief of Staff General Ne Win, formed following a split in the ruling AFPFL party.
1960 - U Nu's party faction wins decisive victory in elections, but his promotion of Buddhism as the state religion and his tolerance of separatism angers the military.
One-party, military-led state
1962 - U Nu's faction ousted in military coup led by Gen Ne Win, who abolishes the federal system and inaugurates "the Burmese Way to Socialism"- nationalising the economy, forming a single-party state with the Socialist Programme Party as the sole political party, and banning independent newspapers.
1974 - New constitution comes into effect, transferring power from the armed forces to a People's Assembly headed by Ne Win and other former military leaders; body of former United Nations secretary-general U Thant returned to Burma for burial.
1975 - Opposition National Democratic Front formed by regionally-based minority groups, who mounted guerrilla insurgencies.
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1981 - Ne Win relinquishes the presidency to San Yu, a retired general, but continues as chairman of the ruling Socialist Programme Party.
1982 - Law designating people of non-indigenous background as "associate citizens" in effect bars such people from public office.
Riots and repression
1987 - Currency devaluation wipes out many people's savings and triggers anti-government riots.
1988 - Thousands of people are killed in anti-government riots. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) is formed.
1989 - Slorc declares martial law, arrests thousands of people, including advocates of democracy and human rights, renames Burma Myanmar, with the capital, Rangoon, becoming Yangon.
Thwarted elections
1990 - Opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) wins landslide victory in general election, but the result is ignored by the military; NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San, is put under house arrest.
1991 - Aung San Suu Kyi awarded Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to peaceful change.
1992 - Than Shwe replaces Saw Maung as Slorc chairman, prime minister and defence minister. Several political prisoners freed in bid to improve Burma's international image.
1996 - Aung San Suu Kyi attends first NLD congress since her release; Slorc arrests more than 200 delegates on their way to party congress.
1997 - Burma admitted to Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean); Slorc renamed State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).
1998 - Three hundred NLD members released from prison, but ruling council refuses to comply with NLD deadline for convening of parliament, ignores pro-democracy roadside protests by Aung San Suu Kyi and breaks up student demonstrations.
1999 - Aung San Suu Kyi rejects ruling council conditions to visit her British husband, Michael Aris, who dies of cancer in UK.
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2000 September - Ruling council lifts restrictions limiting the movements of Aung San Suu Kyi and senior members of the NLD.
2000 October - Aung San Suu Kyi begins secret talks with the ruling council.
2000 December - Amnesty International reports that torture is increasing in Burma despite official military statements that it is illegal.
2001 January - Ruling council releases 84 NLD activists. In the course of the year around 200 are released.
2001 February - Burmese army and Shan rebels clash on Thai border; Burmese authorities agree to abandon the construction of a controversial dam on the Naf river between the two countries.
2001 June - Government frees several pro-democracy activists, saying the releases reflect progress in landmark talks with opposition NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Several opposition party offices are allowed to reopen.
2001 June - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra makes a two-day visit to Burma and hails it as a success, saying relations between the two countries are now back on track. His aim is to patch up disagreements over drugs and smouldering border tensions.
2001 August - Government frees senior NLD leaders U Aung Shwe and U Tin Oo, but Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest.
2001 September - Intelligence chief Khin Nyunt, No 3 in the ruling council, visits Thailand. Burma pledges to eliminate drugs trade in the Golden Triangle by 2005. Thailand commits funds to finance crop substitution programme. Khin Nyunt says Burma and Thailand are good neighbours again.
2001 November - Official press hails capture of a white elephant, traditionally seen as a portent of peace and prosperity.
2001 November - Governing military council sacks two top generals and orders five other ministers to retire.
2001 November - International Labour Organisation sends mission to investigate government measures to end forced labour. Mission reports some progress but expresses "profound concern" that government measures have had limited impact.
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2001 November - Chinese President Jiang Zemin pays visit, the first by a Chinese head of state since the army took power in 1988. Jiang issues statement supporting government but reportedly urges more economic reform.
2001 December - Thailand shuts down camp housing Burmese dissidents. Activists with links to the camp had been associated with hostage incidents in 1999 and 2000.
2002 January - Burma announces plans for a nuclear research facility, with Russia to supply the reactor and train the staff.
2002 May - Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is released after nearly 20 months of house arrest. She says no restrictions have been placed on her political activity or movement.
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has said she is confident political change is on its way.
But in an exclusive interview with the BBC, she warned that the process could be slow and urged people to be patient.
Aung San Suu Kyi told the BBC World Service and News Online programme Talking Point that discussions between her party and the ruling military junta had made some progress since her release from house arrest in May, but there was "some way to go".
She also stressed that it was still too early to encourage foreign tourists to visit Burma.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner took calls from around the world and replied to hundreds of questions sent in to BBC News Online.
She played down her own role in the fight for democracy in Burma, and the price she had paid.
"I made a choice, I didn't make any sacrifices," she said.
Asked about the prospects of political reform, she said she was hopeful of progress by this time next year.
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She noted that the struggle in South Africa "went on for decades" and therefore "you can't say it is taking too long" in Burma.
"We are confident change will come - not as quickly as most of us would wish, but it will come," she said.
Trust for UN envoy
Talks between Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy and the ruling junta have been mediated by UN envoy Razali Ismail.
Aung San Suu Kyi denied one caller's suggestion that Mr Razali, a Malaysian, was a puppet of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Mr Razali was a "good friend of Burma", she said.
His slow progress - he has made several trips to Burma without achieving significant success - was "in the nature of the process", she added.
Relationship with generals
Aung San Suu Kyi also said she felt "no personal animosity" towards the ruling generals, who deny her National League for Democracy the landslide victory it achieved in 1990 national elections.
"I get along with them well enough. After all it was my father who founded the Burmese army and I do have a sense of warmth towards the Burmese army," she said.
She said that her father, the country's independence hero General Aung San, was her greatest inspiration.
She said that she hoped to complete his work for the country.
Tourism
Aung San Suu Kyi urged foreign travellers keen to visit Burma to be patient.
"We have not yet come to the point where we encourage people to come to Burma as tourists," she said.
The democracy leader refused to speculate about when that might be but said that she did not think it was impossible that political change could take place "within months".
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Aung San Suu Kyi said she had realised that one thing she could ask all her people to do in the meantime was to refuse to support injustice "simply because they are afraid".
"It could achieve a lot if everyone in Burma could stop saying something is good if it is not good, or say something is just if it is not just," she said.
The programme, which is part of a series of special programmes to mark the 70th anniversary of BBC World Service, will go out in full on Sunday 15 December at 1400 GMT on World Service Radio.
A full video version and transcript will appear on BBC News Online from midnight on Thursday at 0000 GMT.
Thursday, 12 December, 2002, 21:31 GMT Aung San Suu Kyi talks to the world
By Lyse Doucet BBC News
She is a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a symbol of her nation's hopes, a woman who has spent most of the past 15 years under arrest in her house.
But for a little more than a hour this week, Aung San Suu Kyi was a voice at the end of our telephone line to Rangoon - a voice so powerful, yet so calm.
This was Talking Point with a difference: Aung San Suu Kyi seemed to be dispensing advice to the world.
There was no mistaking her precise diction, that soft distinctive lilt.
"I can only give you 20 to 30 minutes," she cautioned in a most gracious way.
That would leave us with half a programme. We all worried whether the telephone line would also fail.
Either the connection to Burma would go down or the military authorities would make sure it did.
Advice
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But, somehow, I believed that once Aung San Suu Kyi began to hear from people around the world, she would not leave us.
And she did not. Maybe it was because many did not just call or e-mail, as they do for our guests every week, to seek her opinion or to challenge her.
They wanted her to tell them what to do.
Jeremy in London asked whether he should travel to Burma - Myanmar as it is known - over the holiday period.
Neil Roberts e-mailed from Hanoi to ask if it was OK to apply for a teaching job in Rangoon.
Almost everyone who called began by expressing admiration for her and her long struggle for democracy in Burma.
Frustration
In our post-11 September world, when so much of our political coverage uses words like militancy, violence and protest, Aung San Suu Kyi's language was noticeably different.
She told Barbara, who e-mailed from Sri Lanka, that violence sometimes seemed to win in the short run but in the long run it would only destroy more than it created.
Political dialogue with the military government was the priority - everything else had to wait including tourism and investment.
Even crackling telephone lines could not hide the sadness and frustration from exiles far away.
"We hoped good news would be on the way," said Tin Htun a Burmese national living in the United States. "But there is nothing, only hope."
Aung San Suu Kyi offered nothing specific except glimpses of her commitment and her calm certitude that change would come - in its own time.
Thanks
For many callers, there was clearly magic in just speaking to her. Ahmad Nasir barely managed to express his excitement that he in the Maldives could speak to Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon.
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In the end, I realised this was Aung San Suu Kyi's present to us for the 70th birthday of the BBC World Service.
She reminded us of what we have long tried to do - give people a chance to speak and to speak to each other.
That day, all of us at talking point felt touched by the power of that thought and that voice down our telephone line.
Before we said goodbye, I also thanked the Burmese generals who may have been listening in.
