Suu Kyi 'welcomes US engagement'

Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest was recently extended by 18 months

Detained Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi says she welcomes US plans to engage with the country's military rulers, her lawyers say.

But lawyer Nyan Win said that Ms Suu Kyi also wanted the US to engage with the political opposition.

It comes after the US said sanctions against Burma could be eased if the junta improved its human rights record.

Ms Suu Kyi is under house arrest and is currently preparing an appeal against an extension of her sentence.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that direct engagement is good," said Nyan Win.

"She accepts it but she says that engagement must be with both sides," AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said sanctions remained an important part of US policy but that "by themselves they have not produced the results that had been hoped for on behalf of the people of Burma".

She said the US would be looking to employ both sanctions and engagement to "help achieve democratic reform" in Burma.

Ms Suu Kyi was sentenced in August to a further 18 months' house arrest after a US intruder stayed at her home.

She has spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention and if her appeal fails, the extension will keep her out of multi-party elections scheduled to be held next year.