Myanmar's ruling junta Saturday sent its "liaison minister" to hold talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, raising hopes for a political dialogue, government and opposition sources said.

Relations Minister Aung Kyi met with Suu Kyi at her house-cum-prison in Yangon for 50 minutes Saturday afternoon, a government official, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed.

In October 2007, Aung Kyi was appointed as a special relations minister by junta supremo Senior General Than Shwe to deal with Suu Kyi in the wake of a brutal army crackdown on monk-led protests in Yangon.

Myanmar's Supreme Court on Monday refused to allow two more witnesses to appear in defence of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing charges of breaking the terms of her detention and a possible five-year jail sentence, her lawyer said.

Myanmar court authorities Wednesday postponed the next hearing in the controversial trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been scheduled to appear in court Friday.

Fears that Myanmar's rebel groups will disrupt next year's planned election and cause greater instability in the military-run nation may lead China to put greater pressure on the regime to free Aung San Suu Kyi, a rebel spokesman said Friday.

Thousands of ethnic Karen villagers have been forced to flee across the border into Thailand over the past few weeks as the Myanmar army steps up its assault on the Karen rebels.

Forced recruitment by the Myanmar military has driven 3,000 Karen refugees into Thailand, and is likely lead to a bigger exodus soon, the Karen Human Rights Group said Tuesday.

Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party on Friday raised concerns about the health on their leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently standing trial at Insein Prison on charges of breaking the terms of her house arrest.

Myanmar's foreign minister Thursday warned a meeting of European and South-East Asian leaders in Cambodia not to interfere in the trial of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, currently under way in Yangon.