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The junta said about 10 youths had been staying at her compound around the clock since their official security team withdrew.

Suu Kyi in new face-off with junta

Aung San Suu Kyi increased the pressure on the military government by setting out on another road trip to visit supporters in the west of the country.

Sources close to Suu Kyi’s NLD said she slipped out of her closely guarded lakeside home in Rangoon and drove towards Pathein township, about 190 km west of Rangoon.

Two NLD vehicles, including a light mini-bus, were halted close to the village of Anyarsu, around 27 km west of Rangoon and not far from where Suu Kyi was stopped on a similar trip in July.

This is the fourth time Suu Kyi has left home in an attempt to visit supporters in recent weeks.

Pressure grows as Suu Kyi defiant

Burma’s military rulers faced pressures from inside and outside the country as a roadside standoff between Aung San Suu Kyi and security guards continued.

An NLD statement said Suu Kyi was making her latest trip "to encourage the NLD elected representatives against whom action has been taken by the government." It said the military had broken the law by stopping Suu Kyi’s vehicle and stated the government would be responsible if anything happened to her.

Suu Kyi defiant as NLD, junta meet

Aung San Suu Kyi spent a seventh day in a battle of wills with the junta on a bridge, while her NLD and the junta held talks in Rangoon.

The opposition party’s chairman Aung Shwe met for nearly an hour with junta intelligence chief Lt Gen Khin Nyunt. The junta described the talks as "open, cordial and frank."

"We hope this is the first in a series of confidence-building talks between the government and the NLD," Khin Nyunt was quoted as saying. "We have had a fruitful meeting and we also have appreciated the NLD’s acceptance of our offer of a meeting."

The NLD had declined previous invitations for talks as they excluded party secretary-general Suu Kyi and other key members.

Junta provides umbrella for standoff

Burma’s government said it could not allow Aung San Suu Kyi and her companions to endanger themselves by travelling in the western part of Burma, which it said is violent.

SPDC claimed to have supplied her with several amenities this time, including a cassette player and music tapes by Madonna and Michael Jackson. They also provided a beach umbrella, table, chairs and "journals to help Suu Kyi pass the time." The government said it also sent "imported cakes, cookies and soft drinks" for Suu Kyi and her companions.

"The government has provided an ambulance exclusively for their use. There are not many ambulances in Burma, however, and the government hopes that Mrs Suu Kyi and her companions will return home soon, so that the ambulance and medical staff may be put back to use helping the truly needy."

International reaction

Despite a lack of tangible results from the SPDC-NLD meetings, international reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. The Japanese foreign ministry announced that their nation "strongly hopes that meeting will become the first step along the road to significant dialogue between the Government of Myanmar and the NLD including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi."

Thailand also welcomed the negotiations and expressed hope that Suu Kyi would be included in future discussions.