More delay in Suu Kyi Burma trial

Ms Suu Kyi was taken to prison in Rangoon on 14 May

The trial of Burma's jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been delayed over efforts to reinstate defence witnesses, her lawyer said.

She is on trial for breaching house arrest terms after a US intruder stayed at her Rangoon home for two days.

The trial has been adjourned until 12 June while a higher court hears a request from her lawyers to reinstate three witnesses a lower court barred.

Ms Suu Kyi denies the charges and faces five years behind bars if found guilty.

The three witnesses are all from Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party. One defence witness has been allowed to testify.

Fourteen witnesses for the prosecution have been allowed to testify.

"We gave our statement this afternoon to the divisional court because the original decision regarding the three witnesses was not legal," said one of her lawyers Nyan Win, who also acts as a spokesman for Ms Suu Kyi.

He said the judge would announce a ruling on the appeal on 9 June.

Notorious prison

The trial's closing arguments were originally expected to be heard on 1 June. Then they were postponed to 5 June.

Now, says Nyan Win, closing arguments are unlikely to be heard at the next session of the trial, now scheduled for 12 June.

Inside Burma's Insein prison Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi

Ms Suu Kyi is widely expected to be convicted.

Already under house arrest, Ms Suu Kyi was detained last month at Rangoon's notorious Insein prison after American John W Yettaw swam to her lakeside home and stayed for two days.

Her defence team admits the 53-year-old swam to her home but argue that government guards posted around her home should have kept him out.

Observers believe that Burma's military leaders will seize on the incident to keep her behind bars during what they say will be multi-party elections in 2010.

Ms Suu Kyi has been under house arrest and banned from seeing all but a small group of people for 13 of the past 19 years.