Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will protest her innocence when she goes on trial tomorrow, her party said as the ruling military junta freed her personal doctor from detention.

aung san suu kyi burma myanmar prison 140509 01 The 63-year-old met her lawyer yesterday at the notorious prison where she has been held since last week on charges of violating house arrest by sheltering an American man who swam across a lake to her residence.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner faces up to five years in jail if convicted on the charges, which would keep her behind bars during controversial elections planned by Myanmar's generals for next year.

A spokesman for her National League for Democracy party said she had discussed the case when lawyer Kyi Win visited Insein prison near Yangon. The behind-closed-doors trial is expected to take place inside the jail.

"They discussed the charges and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that she didn't commit any crime and she is ready to talk about it in court," the spokesman, Nyan Win, told AFP today. Daw is a term of respect in the Burmese language.

"She asked him to tell friends and colleagues that she is in good health," he said.

Aung Thein, another lawyer who applied to represent her at the trial, said yesterday that he had been disbarred by the authorities a day earlier.

Myanmar facing global pressure to drop charges

Myanmar has faced global pressure to free Aung San Suu Kyi and drop the charges, which were filed less than two weeks before the latest period of her detention was due to expire.

She has spent 13 of the last 19 years in jail or under house arrest.

However the regime yesterday released her doctor, Tin Myo Win, nearly two weeks after he was held while trying to get access to her following the incident with US national John Yettaw.

"He was released from detention (last night). According to him his health situation is good," one of Tin Myo Win's family members told AFP , asking not to be identified.

It was not clear if Tin Myo Win would be allowed to visit Aung San Suu Kyi. She was placed on an intravenous drip at her house on May 8 because she could not eat, had low blood pressure and was dehydrated.

His release came days after the US government demanded that Myanmar should grant him "immediate" access to see Aung San Suu Kyi.

Not a sound from Asean

The Washington-based US Campaign for Burma meanwhile released what it said was the police report which led to the charges against her, in which Aung San Suu Kyi is accused of offering Yettaw food and drink when he stayed at her house between May 3 and 5.

It says that the former army veteran made a prior visit in November 2008.

Yettaw also faces trial tomorrow, along with Aung San Suu Kyi's two maids, who are accused of aiding the American.

The Philippines today added to the chorus of condemnation, saying it was "outraged" by Aung San Suu Kyi's treatment, joining Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore among Myanmar's regional neighbours in speaking out.

But there has been no word from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), of which Myanmar is a member. The group has long been criticised by Western nations, which have imposed tough sanctions on the country.

"We really hope that they (Asean) come out and ratchet up the pressure. Since Burma was admitted 12 years ago, Asean has squandered any opportunity to speak more openly about Burma," said David Mathieson of Human Rights Watch.

Myanmar, which was formerly known as Burma, has been ruled by the military since 1962 and the generals refused to let Aung San Suu Kyi take office after her party won a landslide victory in the country's last elections in 1990.

The junta has promised polls in 2010, but they will be held under a constitution brought in last year that enshrines a role for the military in any government. Critics say the elections are likely to be heavily rigged. - AFP