Barricades in front of Suu Kyi's home removed - witness

BANGKOK Nov 13 (Reuters) - Myanmar authorities removed barricades in front of the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained leader of the pro-democracy movement in the army-ruled country, raising speculation of her imminent release on Saturday.

At least 1,000 people had gathered near her lakeside house, many cheering loudly and chanting "Release Aung San Suu Kyi" and "Long live Aung San Suu Kyi", as officials pulled down barbed wire and removed the concrete barricades.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner has spent 15 of the past 21 years in detention. The latest spell dates from last August, when a court found she had broken a law protecting the state against "subversive elements" by allowing an American intruder to stay at her home for two nights.

(Reporting by Aung Hla Tun. Writing by Jason Szep. editing by Martin Petty)