By Rachel Harvey
BBC South East Asia Correspondent, Bangkok
**Lawyers representing Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi are in court pushing their case for an appeal against her extended detention.**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 was unsound because it was based on provisions laid out in a now defunct 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 proceedings in Burma are unpredictable.
Things are complicated further by the fact that the prosecution is also reported to have filed an appeal, arguing that the original sentence against the pro-democracy leader was too lenient.
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.
It is thought unlikely she would go that far.