Suu Kyi’s house arrest extended

Myanmar’s military junta extended the detention of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, ignoring world-wide appeals to free the Nobel laureate, who has been detained for more than 12 of the past 18 years, said an official.

Her period of house arrest was extended by one year, said the official. The government is thought to have also had the option of extending it for just six months. Ms. Suu Kyi has been in detention continuously since May 2003, most of the time under house arrest.

Ms. Suu Kyi was personally informed of her continued imprisonment by officials from the Home Ministry who entered her home prior to the announcement.

The extension was issued despite a law that stipulated no one can be held longer than five years without being released or put on trial. There have been no public announcements of previous extensions, and there was no immediate official news of the latest development.

- The Hindu