U.N. barred from visiting Aung San Suu Kyi

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar, July 4 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday he's been turned down in his bid to visit Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ban told reporters traveling with him in Myanmar that the country's ruling military junta rebuffed his request to see Suu Kyi, who has been held under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years, CNN reported.

Ban made the comments after meeting with junta leader Than Shwe. The U.N. leader was in Myanmar at the invitation of the government for talks with officials, the U.S. broadcaster said. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Suu Kyi has been on trial for subversion in connection with a May 3 incident in which an American man swam across a lake to her house and stayed for at least a night.

The secretary-general's trip to the country formerly known as Burma is intended to convince the generals to release Suu Kyi and other political prisoners before the general election next year. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for much of the past two decades.

"This election should be a credible, fair, inclusive and legitimate one where all the Myanmar people can express their will in a free way," Ban said. "I was assured that Myanmar's authorities will make sure that this election will be held in fair and free and transparent manner."

Suu Kyi is being held in Insein Prison.