By Larry Jagan BBC, Rangoon

The delegation is not guaranteed access to Aung San Suu Kyi

Two Amnesty researchers will be examining the human rights situation in the country.

They are also hoping to meet senior government ministers, representatives of the various ethnic groups and pro-democracy leaders.

These include Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest.

Amnesty has been very tight-lipped about this trip, and is only prepared to say its visit would involve looking at the situation of political prisoners and the justice system.

Diplomatic sources told the BBC that so far Amnesty had not been guaranteed access to Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

The two researchers are also planning to inspect prisons and have asked to meet political prisoners - something they were able to do on their previous trip.

Mounting criticism

Amnesty visited Burma earlier this year on their first-ever mission, though this was described at the time as an initial orientation visit.

During that trip Amnesty researchers met key government ministers and Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who was not then detained nor under house arrest.

There is no doubt that the government is keen to make the most of Amnesty's visit.

By allowing it, as they had promised earlier in the year, the junta hopes to deflect mounting international criticism of its human rights record and especially the continued detention of Aung Sang Suu Kyi.