Suu Kyi meets with Myanmar government

YANGON, Myanmar, July 25 (UPI) -- Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi held her first official meeting Monday with Myanmar's military-backed government since its election last year.

Labor Minister Aung Kyi, with the veteran democracy advocate standing beside him, said: "Discussions were focused on possibilities for cooperating in the interests of the people. This included the rule of law and overcoming disunity, and matters that will benefit the public."

It was her first known contact with the government since her release from house arrest in November, shortly after the first election in 20 years, the BBC reported.

The military barred Suu Kyi from the November elections, her supporters boycotted it and the results were widely dismissed as fraudulent.

In June, the regime warned Suu Kyi to stop all political activities and stay in Yangon. But she defied the rulers and recently visited the town of Bagan and has continued talking to foreign media and diplomats.

At a regional security conference in Bali, Indonesia, Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for "concrete measurable progress" by the Myamnar government.