Suu Kyi's trial back behind closed doors

Myanmar again barred diplomats and journalists from the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday, as international pressure mounted on the military junta to drop the case against the pro-democracy icon.
The regime had unexpectedly opened up the hearing at the notorious Insein prison for just one day on Wednesday, in an apparent concession to global criticism of its treatment of the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
But it clamped down again yesterday , despite a warning from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the "outrageous" charges against the 63-year-old and a pledge by UN chief Ban Ki-moon to visit the country.
"Only for one day were diplomats and press allowed," a Myanmar official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
About 30 members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, including the country's former longest serving political prisoner, Win Tin, kept up a vigil outside the prison as the trial resumed Thursday, witnesses said.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces up to five years in jail if convicted of charges of breaching her house arrest, which stem from an incident earlier this month when an American man, John Yettaw, swam to her lakeside house.
Aung San Suu Kyi met envoys from Thailand, Singapore and Russia, expressing hope that "it was not too late for something good to come out of this unfortunate incident," a Singapore government statement said.
State television showed footage of her talking animatedly to the diplomats and said Aung San Suu Kyi had told the envoys she was in "good health and convenient accommodation has been provided."
Medical specialists had visited her Wednesday and she was receiving daily healthcare at the prison, it added.
Our Diplomatic Correspondent adds: The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has expressed his grave concern over the arrest and trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, coinciding with when her house arrest was due to end, to the leader of the ruling military junta.

In a letter sent yesterday to General Than Shwe, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura did not pass judgment on the validity of the charges against her, but underscored that Aung San Suu Kyi who received the 2002 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence plays a very important role in the country's national reconciliation process.
Matsuura added his voice to the chorus of UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in calling for her immediate and unconditional release.