BURMA’S opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has pleaded not guilty at her trial and blamed the regime’s lax security for allowing an American intruder to swim uninvited to her lakeside home, her lawyers said.

Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners should be freed, British prime minister Gordon Brown said today.

The UN special envoy to promote political reconciliation in Burma met Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition party members today, a day after being rebuffed by the country’s military rulers.

Burma’s ruling military lashed out at Western powers and foreign media today for fomenting recent protests that were put down in a brutal crackdown.

Burma’s military authorities arrested dissidents in raids today even as they responded to international pressure with apparent moves toward talks with their archenemy, democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, an exile group said.

Burma authorities claimed they seized weapons from Buddhist monasteries and announced dozens of new arrests, defying world outrage over their violent repression of protesters who sought an end to 45 years of dictatorship.

Hundreds of former student activists today quietly commemorated the 18th anniversary of pro-democracy uprisings in Myanmar, which propelled Aung San Suu Kyi into the political limelight and cost thousands of lives.

A lone man who staged a protest in Burma’s main city of Rangoon was detained by police today as pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked her 61st birthday, alone and under house arrest by the military government.

Burma’s ruling military junta extended the detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi today, defying international pressure to free the Nobel laureate.

The UN Security Council is to hold a briefing on Burma and its ruling military junta, which detains political opponents and is accused of violating human rights.

The UN secretary-general has urged Burma’s military government and its main pro-democracy party to reach an agreement under which the opposition party – led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi – will attend a constitution-drafting convention.

An EU delegation to Burma has been given positive indications over reconciliation between the country's pro-democracy leader and its military regime.