Feb 14, 2008 (DVB)-The Burmese government yesterday extended the house arrest of U Tin Oo, deputy chairperson of the National League for Democracy, for one more year, according to NLD officials.

U Nyan Win, a legal expert and member of NLD's information committee, told DVB that government officials went to U Tin Oo's house yesterday at around 6pm and read out an official order stating that his house arrest had been extended for another year.

U Nyan Win criticised the regime's decision to continue to hold the 80-year-old deputy opposition leader.

"U Tin Oo poses no threat to the government as he has been kept inside his house for all these years," he said.

"Extending house arrest for such a vulnerable person is very unfair, and shows that the government is not keen to bring about national reconciliation."

U Tin Oo was the commander-in-chief of the Burmese armed forces before he was forced to retire in 1976.

He has detained since the Depayin massacre in May 2003, when a convoy carrying U Tin Oo and NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi came under attack from a pro-junta mob.

Reporting by Htet Aung Kyaw