Military Junta In Burma Extending House Arrest of President

deception · Aug 11, 2009

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-court-but-all-she-did-was-smile-1770650.html

Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, was put back under house arrest yesterday at the end of a three-month trial that Gordon Brown described as a "sham".

Diplomats attending the hearing said Ms Suu Kyi, 64, stood straight and still as the judge in Rangoon's Insein jail found her guilty of breaching the terms of her detention by sheltering an uninvited guest, and sentenced her to three years with hard labour.
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After a dramatic pause, the interior minister entered the courtroom and read out a special order from Than Shwe, the senior general in Burma's military junta, commuting the sentence to 18 months of house arrest in the interests of "maintaining community peace and stability".

Ms Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years, but retains a wide and passionate following, and is still the most potent threat to Burma's hated generals. The maximum sentence she could have received was five years' hard labour, but observers say it had been carefully reduced in order to keep her out of the way until after elections scheduled for next year, which are unlikely to do more than put a civilian façade on five decades of military rule.

"Eighteen months is perfectly designed if the motivation is, as we think, to keep her away from the elections and the aftermath when they will be trying to embed a new government," said Sean Turnell, a Burma expert at Australia's Macquarie University.

The trial stemmed from a bizarre incident in May when an American man, John Yettaw, swam to her lakeside home to warn her of a dream he had had that she would be assassinated. Ms Suu Kyi initially urged him to leave, but allowed him to stay for two nights when he complained of cramps and exhaustion.

Mr Yettaw, a 54-year-old Vietnam veteranr, was hauled from the lake by police as he swam away from the house. Ms Suu Kyi and her two housekeepers were arrested and charged with violating the conditions of her arrest by providing him with food and shelter.

Looking bewildered, Mr Yettaw was convicted of immigration violations and "swimming in a non-swimming area", and sentenced to seven years, with four years' hard labour. Ms Suu Kyi's housekeepers, a mother and daughter, were given 18 months of house arrest.

Diplomats speculated that Mr Yettaw, a diabetic and epileptic who has been in poor health throughout the trial, would be quickly pardoned and deported.
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John Yettaw: 'Well-intentioned' man in hot water

*Friends and family of John Yettaw said they were stunned by the harsh seven-year sentence handed down to a "well-intentioned" man.

His ex-wife, Yvonne, said from California that she was shocked: "Our children are stunned. He went out there with good intentions but without thinking of the consequences."

Mr Yettaw's lawyers will appeal against the sentence. Diplomats are hopeful that he will be granted clemency, possibly on health grounds, and allowed to return to the US.

The asthmatic former soldier, who has recently been in hospital after suffering epileptic seizures, was arrested on his second visit to Burma. He told officials he had been driven to swim across Rangoon's Inya Lake to Aung San Suu Kyi's home after receiving a warning from God that she was to be killed. While travelling elsewhere in Asia, he told fellow backpackers he was researching a book on forgiveness and trauma.

On an earlier visit to Aung San Suu Kyi's home last November, Mr Yettaw was sent away from her door but in May he was allowed to stay.

His son Clint died two years ago in a motorcycle accident. His stepson, Paul Nedrow, said: "After Clint's death, he took something that was already of intense interest to him because of previous experiences in his life, healing and forgiveness after traumatic events, and threw himself into his research."
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-she was democratically elected so she's the president in my mind

maxiep · Aug 12, 2009

Burma's government is giving North Korea a run for its money.

barfo · Aug 13, 2009

maxiep said: ↑

Burma's government is giving North Korea a run for its money.
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Apparently, Burma's government is giving North Korea money for it's nukes.

barfo

deception · Aug 13, 2009

maxiep said: ↑

Burma's government is giving North Korea a run for its money.
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no way. north korea has fuckin gulags where prisoners are asked to do tedious tasks like moving rocks from one side to another.

Chutney · Aug 13, 2009

The most annoying part for me is China's call for the world to respect Myanmar's judicial precedents and not to condemn their actions too harshly. I can't fucking stand that country.

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Military Junta In Burma Extending House Arrest of President

deception JBB Banned Member

maxiep RIP Dr. Jack

barfo triggered obsessive commie pinko boomer maniac Staff Member Global Moderator

deception JBB Banned Member

Chutney MON-STRAWRRR!!1!

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Military Junta In Burma Extending House Arrest of President

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deception JBB Banned Member

maxiep RIP Dr. Jack

barfo triggered obsessive commie pinko boomer maniac Staff Member Global Moderator

deception JBB Banned Member

Chutney MON-STRAWRRR!!1!

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