YANGON, August 6, 2008 (AFP) - Three top leaders of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) met Wednesday with the new UN human rights envoy for Myanmar at a Yangon hotel, a party spokesman said.

The officials met briefly with UN special rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana, telling him that they believe the regime's detention of the Nobel Peace Prize winner is a violation of human rights, said party spokesman Nyan Win.

Aung San Suu Kyi was first arrested in July 1989, and has been allowed only a few brief years of freedom since.

After the regime in May extended her house arrest by another year, the NLD wrote to the junta appealing her detention, but they have received no reply, Nyan Win said.

'We assume that the lack of a reply is a rejection. They are rejecting her right to appeal. This is a violation of human rights,' he told AFP.

NLD leaders also told Quintana about the arrest of party members during anti-government protests led by Buddhist monks last September, as well as the beating of Aung San Suu Kyi's supporters outside party headquarters in June, Nyan Win added.

The regime has given no indication of whether it will allow Quintana to meet Aung San Suu Kyi.

Quintana spoke with the NLD leaders shortly before flying to the regime's remote capital of Naypyidaw, where he was expected to meet with senior military officials.

Myanmar officials would not say whether he would see junta leader Than Shwe.

The envoy arrived on his first mission to Myanmar on Sunday. He has met with prominent political prisoners and relief experts working to deliver aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis, which left 138,000 dead or missing after it hit in May.

He is expected to wrap up his mission on Thursday.