Aung San Suu Kyi holds surprise talks with Burma junta

Burma pro-democracy protesters outside the China embassy in London
Burma pro-democracy protesters outside the China embassy in London. Photographer: Cate Gillon/Getty
Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi today made a brief foray from the Rangoon home where she has been under house arrest for discussions with a senior official from the country's ruling junta.

The hour-long talks with Aung Kyi, the labour minister appointed by Burma's leader, General Than Shwe, to liaise with the opposition, was a glimmer of movement by the regime.

The junta is under growing diplomatic and economic pressure in the wake of the bloody crackdown against the monk-led pro-democracy protests that left at least 13 people dead and thousands behind bars.

No details of the talks emerged and members of Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party had no advance warning.

Burma's state television showed pictures of the two meeting.

The former general was appointed at the suggestion of UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who twice met with Ms Suu Kyi, 62, and Gen Shwe after world leaders expressed revulsion over last month's brutal repression by the reclusive regime's troops.

Gen Shwe, 74, head of the military regime that has held power for 45 years, said he would not meet Ms Suu Kyi unless she dropped her calls for sanctions against Burma. But analysts said today's first tentative steps marked some progress and could lead to a face-to-face meeting.

Three cars picked up in the Nobel peace prize winner from the heavily barricaded lakeside villa where she has spent 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest. Her NLD party won elections in 1990, but the army annulled the vote.

She was taken the short distance to the government guest house where she met Mr Gambari last month. The UN envoy will shortly return to Burma to hold further discussions aimed at pushing the regime towards democracy.

In another sign of the intense pressure the junta finds itself under, it also agreed yesterday to allow Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Burma, to visit despite barring him for years.