Burmese Political Prisoner Seeks More Medical Visits

RANGOON, Burma, Nov. 11 -- Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner held under house arrest in Burma, left her home for the first time since May on Saturday to meet with a U.N. diplomat, telling the official she needed more frequent medical attention.

Suu Kyi made the comments to the U.N. undersecretary general for political affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, during an hour-long meeting at his government guesthouse, according to a U.N. statement.

"Aung San Suu Kyi conveyed to Gambari that she is in good health but requires more regular medical visits," said the statement issued by the U.N. office in Rangoon. It did not provide details of her health condition.

Gambari, who is pressing the government to adopt human rights and political reforms, met with Suu Kyi previously in May, the last time she was permitted to leave her home. The 61-year-old political prisoner has spent 11 of the last 17 years in detention, mostly under house arrest.

This time, like the last, their meeting was conducted under tight security.

Suu Kyi was escorted from her home in a three-car convoy to Gambari's guesthouse, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Suu Kyi was driven in a black sedan with tinted windows, with the country's police chief in the passenger seat. No details of the meeting were made public.

Burma's junta took power in 1988 after crushing the democracy movement led by Suu Kyi. In 1990, it refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi's party won a landslide election victory.

The junta refuses to talk to Suu Kyi or her party.