Suu Kyi's party urged to register

Burma's government urged the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to officially register her National League for Democracy as a party yesterday, a step that would imply its acceptance of the government's legitimacy and also allow it legally to take part in politics.

Information Minister Kyaw Hsan's suggestion came two days before Ms Suu Kyi plans to make her first political foray into the countryside since her release from seven years of house arrest.

If Ms Suu Kyi's group reaches an accommodation with the government, it could serve as a reason for Western nations to lift political and economic embargoes.