Yangon - Myanmar police on Tuesday arrested nine people who staged a rare protest march in Yangon against military rule.

Among those arrested was Htet Htet Oo Wei, 24, a female activist and member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party, who irked authorities last month by writing letters to junta chief Senior General Than Shwe demanding permission to visit detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

Htet Htet and eight male colleagues walked from the NLD's headquarters to Pyay Road, one of the main roads in Yangon, to protest against military rule.

They were detained in front of the People's Parliament building, one of the Yangon's landmarks, witnesses and military sources confirmed.

On November 22, Htet Htet Oo Wai, announced she had written letters to Senior General Than Shwe asking permission to visit Suu Kyi's house to pay respects to her.

She said she would write three letters and if there was no response, she would do something.

Suu Kyi, the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of the NLD, has been under house arrest in her family's Yangon compound since May 2003. Altogether, Suu Kyi has spent about 13 of the past 18 years under house arrest.

The NLD won the 1990 general election, while Suu Kyi was under detention, but has been denied the right to rule by Myanmar's junta for the past 18 years.

Myanmar, also called Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. (dpa)