Burmese judges delay Suu Kyi trial by one week

Judges inBurma have delayed the trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi for another week while a high court deliberates over whether to allow three barred defence witnesses to testify, her lawyer said.

The lower District Court hasadjourned the trial until next Friday, said Nyan Win, Suu Kyi's lawyer. A higher court is taking that time to decide whether to grant a defence request to reinstate the witnesses, he said.

The lower court was due to rule onwhether to include thewitnesses on Friday.

"The next session will be coming [next] Friday, but there won't be final arguments that day," Nyan Win said.

All three witnesses are from Suu Kyi's National League for Democracyparty. So far, judges have allowed the defence to call one witness, while the prosecution has called 14.

Junta's influence

Burma's courts are operated under the influence of the ruling militaryjunta and have a history of dealing with political dissents harshly. Suu Kyi is widely expected to be found guilty.

The Nobel laureate has spent 13 of the last 19 years in detention without trial for her non-violent promotion of democracy in Burma, also known as Myanmar. Her National League for Democracy won a national election in 1990, but the military junta refused to relinquish power.

Suu Kyi is on trial over charges she breached the terms of her house arrest after a U.S. citizen, John William Yettaw, entered the compound in whichshe is confined on May 4.

According to her restriction order, she is prohibited from having contact with embassies and political parties, and is barred from communicating with the outside world.

The offence is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment.

Suu Kyi said she gave the man "temporary shelter" and has pleaded not guilty to charges she violated the terms of her incarceration.

The defence has also argued in court that Suu Kyi did not invite Yettaw to stay and asked him to leave. The lawyers have said he was only allowed to stay because he was too ill to leave immediately.

Her trial began on May 18, nine days before the terms of her six-year house arrest were due to expire.