Lawyers representing Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi are in court pushing their case for an appeal against her extended detention¹.

缅甸前民主领袖昂山素季的代理律师将要对他的当事人延长拘留的判决提出上诉。

Ms Suu Kyi's detention means she can not take part in elections next year

Ms Suu Kyi was found guilty in August of violating the terms of her house arrest after an American man swam uninvited to her lakeside home.

The hearing is being held in the High Court. In October a lower court ruled there were no grounds for an appeal.

She has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest.

Ms Suu Kyi' lawyers were expected to argue that her conviction定罪，确信 was unsound不健全的，谬误的 because it was based on provisions laid out in a now defunct²非现存的，死的 constitution.

Unpredictable

Speaking to the BBC just before leaving for court, one of Ms Suu Kyi's legal team said he expected the hearing to last about two hours, and was hopeful that a decision could come later in the day.

But legal proceedings³ in Burma are unpredictable出乎预料的，不可预知的.

Things are complicated further by the fact that the prosecution⁴ is also reported to have filed an appeal, arguing that the original sentence against the pro-democracy leader was too lenient仁慈的，宽大的.

If Aung San Suu Kyi's request for an appeal is again unsuccessful she still has one option open to her - a direct appeal to the leader of the military government for a pardon原谅，宽恕.

It is thought unlikely she would go that far.