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Nobel Prize Laureate and Prime Minister-Elect of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested Thursday just two weeks before her current house arrest was due to expire. The arrest was apparently prompted by what the ruling military junta considers a violation of her house arrest as a result of an American man swimming across the lake near her house and entering her house. Taken to the notorious and squalid Insein prison Suu Kyi faces a secret trial today on what are considered trumped up charges aimed at keeping her under lock and key to ensure the junta’s election victory in 2010. Daughter of the martyred Burmese hero who gained the country’s independence, Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy and in a 1990 election won a landslide victory. The military junta refused to hand over power, changed the name of Burma to Myanmar and placed Suu Kyi under house arrest. They have repeatedly extended her detention for a total of more than 14 of the last 20 years. Known to everyone in Burma as The Lady, Suu Kyi has been charged with subversion of government and faces three to five years in prison. Overnight visitors are illegal in Myanmar and the American who swam across the lake in his second attempt to visit with Suu Kyi, has also been charged. President Barack Obama extended US sanctions against Burma for another year. Today the European Union is discussing sanctions against Burma.

GUEST: Jeremy Woodrum, Director of the US Campaign for Burma

For more information, visit www.aappb.org, and www.uscampaignforburma.org.