Aung San Suu Kyi tests freedom

Aung San Suu Kyi was released earlier this month

Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, released from house arrest by the military government on 6 May, has visited a suburban party office in the first real test of her new-found freedom.

Aung San Suu Kyi drove from Rangoon to Shwepyitha, a suburb less than 30 kilometres (20 miles) away, to meet activists and officials at her National League for Democracy's party office.

I don't think there will be any disturbance

Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi says all restrictions on her have now been lifted, but analysts are watching this trip carefully to see how much the military government can tolerate her expanding political influence.

She was accompanied by NLD vice chairman Tin Oo and some youth members, said party officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Arriving at the party office she was greeted by a crowd who clapped, cheered and chanted, AP news agency reported.

A party source told AFP news agency: "This was a routine trip to one of the satellite township offices, which have been open since last year. She went to reorganise the youth group there".

In an interview on Thursday Aung San Suu Kyi said she was not expecting any problems.

"I don't think there will be any disturbance when I visit township offices," she told the Burmese-language service of Radio Free Asia.

The visit was especially poignant because the last time Aung San Suu Kyi tried to leave Rangoon for party business, in September 2000 - defying a government order against her travelling - the military junta put her under house arrest.

Confident

The NLD won 1990 elections by a landslide but the military refused to hand over power. Since October 2000, Aung San Suu Kyi has been in secretive United Nations-brokered talks with the military to try to break the deadlock.

The UN special envoy brokering the Burma talks, Razali Ismail, on Thursday told reporters in New York that the military government was committed to making "the transition from military government to civilian constitutional government."

Aung San Suu Kyi's release had set the momentum he said.