Burmese Court Agrees to Aung San Suu Kyi Appeal

A small step...but in the right direction...

From VOA:

A Burmese court has agreed to hear an appeal from detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her criminal conviction last month for violating her house arrest.

Her lawyer, Nyan Win, said Friday that Rangoon's Division Court will hear the appeal on September 18. He said he was satisfied with the court's decision to hear the appeal.

The Nobel Peace laureate was convicted August 11 of violating state security laws after giving shelter to American man who swam to her lakeside Rangoon home uninvited in May. She was sentenced to 18 months house detention.

Kyi Win says the appeal will focus on the fact that her conviction is based on the 1974 state constitution, which is no longer in effect.

The verdict was condemned by the international community. Burma's ruling military junta was accused of using the trial as an excuse to keep her out of next year's elections.

John Yettaw says he swam to Aung San Suu Kyi's home to warn her about an attempt on her life. He was sentenced to seven years of hard labor, but was released by Burma's military junta last month after a visit from U.S. Senator Jim Webb.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been in some form of detention for 14 of the past 20 years.

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