Myanmar - Suu Kyi

Suu Kyi's appeal over house arrest rejected

Article published on the 2009-10-02 Latest update 2009-10-02 06:13 TU

Monks from Myanmar pray next to a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during a rally in Thailand on 26 September, 2009
(Photos: Reuters)

Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has lost an appeal against her extended detention, it was confirmed on Friday.

The head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) was found guilty of breaching the terms of her house arrest in August, when American John Yettaw swam uninvited to her lakeside home. Suu Kyi was sentenced to a further 18 months house arrest as a result.

A divisional court in Yangoon upheld her conviction, meaning the Nobel Laureate will be in detention for elections which the ruling junta has promised will take place next year.

"The appeal was rejected but we will take it to the high court," Suu Kyi’s lawyer Nyan Win said.

The ruling comes after the United States held its highest-level talks with Myanmar in almost 10 years on Wednesday.

In August, Suu Kyi was initially sentenced to three years hard labour but this was commuted to house arrest by the junta’s ruler Than Shwe. Yettaw was sentenced to seven years hard labour but was freed after a visit by US Senator Jim Webb.

The NLD won a landslide victory in the country’s last democratic polls in 1990 but Suu Kyi was never allowed to take power. Instead, she has been in detention for 14 of the past 20 years.