( CNN ) -- The leading champion of democracy in Myanmar , Aung San Suu Kyi , emerged from house arrest Wednesday to meet with political supporters , a diplomatic source told CNN . Activists display a portrait of detained democracy leader , Aung San Suu Kyi , in Myanmar . Military leaders in Myanmar , which is also known as Burma , let Suu Kyi leave her house to meet with senior leaders of the National League for Democracy , the source said . The meeting comes after the U.S. State Department criticized Myanmar for arresting 10 democracy activists . `` The United States condemns the regime 's decision to press criminal charges against ten Burmese pro-democracy activists ... for the peaceful expression of their political beliefs , '' the department said in a statement Tuesday . The department noted that the 10 were charged with crimes that can carry lengthy sentences . `` If the regime were serious about engaging in a peaceful transition to democracy , it would stop arresting and prosecuting Burma 's democratic leaders , and instead engage them in a genuine dialogue . '' The military government in Myanmar held Suu Kyi under house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and again from 2000 to 2002 . It restricted her travel afterward and put her back under house arrest in 2003 . She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 . The regime in Myanmar used force to suppress a pro-democracy movement a few months ago . The government admitted that its crackdown killed at least 10 people , but human rights groups said they suspect the number is much higher . The government also acknowledged arresting several hundred people after democracy protests led by Buddhist monks . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Dan Rivers contributed to this report .
Aung San U then emerged from her arrest to meet with political supporters . This allowed her to meet senior leaders of the National League for Democracy . Meeting comes after the U.S. sanctions Myanmar for killing 10 democracy activists .