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Burma's High Court Sets Date for Suu Kyi Trial


A lawyer for Burma's democracy leader says the Supreme Court will review Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal against her house arrest on January 18.

Lawyer Kyi Win told VOA (Burmese service) Saturday the court willl hear the final arguments of both the defense and prosecution.

Aung San Suu Kyi is challenging a lower court decision upholding her sentence of 18 more months of house arrest.

Burma extended her 14 year-long detention last year after she was convicted of briefly sheltering an American man who swam uninvited to her lakeside home.

The Nobel laureate's legal team says it is not lawful to extend her house arrest because the decision was based on provisions from the 1974 Constitution, which is no longer in force.

Aung San Suu Kyi can not participate in next year's elections if she is under house arrest. The vote will be Burma's first elections in two decades.

Her National League for Democracy swept the last elections in 1990. The country's military leaders never recognized the results and later went on to detain Aung San Suu Kyi, regarded around the world as an icon for democracy and peace.

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