An American whose unauthorised visit to Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi led to her extended detention, has been released, the office of US Senator Jim Webb said today.

The opposition party of Aung San Suu Kyi said today the United Nations’ secretary-general’s recent trip to military-ruled Myanmar was a failure but it was not his fault.

Hundreds of armed police kept supporters away from the second day of Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s closed-door trial today.

Burma’s military rulers have released the personal doctor of jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who goes on trial tomorrow for allegedly violating terms of her house arrest.

Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was charged today with violating terms of her house arrest and could face a prison term of up to five years.

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 military rulers celebrated its 60th anniversary of independence from Britain today with a simple flag-hoisting ceremony and a call for more discipline in the country.

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’s ruling junta said today it hoped to achieve “smooth relations” with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a day after suggesting that she was unlikely to be released from house arrest anytime soon.

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.

GROUPS around the world yesterday marked the 62nd birthday of Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi by calling for her release.

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.

Southeast Asian nations pressed Myanmar’s (Burma’s) generals to get serious about democracy as they opened a summit today aiming for broader Asian integration – an uphill task as shown by a feud raging between China and Japan.

Burma’s ruling military junta today began releasing almost 4,000 prisoners whose detentions were ruled irrelevant or improper.

BURMA’S secretive military regime has sacked its prime minister, seen as a relative pragmatist, and replaced him with a general who has taken a hard line in dealing with the country’s pro-democracy movement.

Burma’s secretive military junta has forced out its prime minister, the long-powerful General Khin Nyunt, and placed him under house arrest on corruption charges.

MYANMAR’S military government said yesterday that its opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was “physically well” and charged that US claims that she was on a hunger strike to protest at her three-month incarceration were the result of “spin doctors”.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has urged Myanmar’s military government to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a rare intrusion into the internal affairs of one of its members.

A United Nations envoy to Burma met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi today and said she was “well and in good spirits”.