The Burmese leader Than Shwe has told United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that his request to visit opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been denied.

Mr Ban, who is in Myanmar (formerly Burma) for a two-day visit, says he is disappointed by the refusal. He called it a blow for the international community and a missed opportunity for Myanmar. The junta leader repeated what he said on Friday during his first conversation with Mr Ban, which is that Ms Suu Kyi is involved in a legal trail and he does not want to disrupt the legal process.

Aung San Suu Kyi will appear before a judge charged with breaking the conditions of her house arrest after a man swam across a heavily guarded lake to reach her house. Ms Suu Kyi denies having anything to do with the man – she says it was his decision to swim across the lake and he did not announce his visit beforehand.

Photo: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon - Flickr Thomas Hawk