Suu Kyi expected to be freed from house arrest

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to be freed from house arrest soon, her party said today.

The National League for Democracy also said party members will probably attend a constitutional convention called by the military junta.

The party will send a letter to the junta on Friday with some conditions for attending the May 17 convention, party spokesman U Lwin said in Rangoon.

Among the demands is that Suu Kyi, the NLD general secretary, and party vice president Tin Oo are released from house arrest before the meeting, he said.

“I strongly believe that it will take place before the National Convention in view of the current improvement of relations between the NLD and the government,” he said.

U Lwin did not elaborate but the comments apparently indicated that the party has been given some kind of assurance by the government.

Until last week, U Lwin had been saying he did not expect Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi to be freed anytime soon.