Junta charges Suu Kyi over US ‘fool’
[AFP- SMH]
John Yettaw taking a picture of himself and the makeshift flippers he claimed to have used to swim across Inya Lake to Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's compound. (Photo: smh/Reuters)
Burma’s military junta charged pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi today with breaching the terms of her house arrest over an incident in which an American swam across a lake and entered her home.
The 63-year-old opposition leader faces trial on Monday in what critics said was an excuse for Burma’s generals to extend the latest period of her detention, which was due to expire in less than two weeks.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and her two maids appeared in court at the notorious Insein Prison near Rangoon, hours after police whisked her away from the residence where she has been detained most of the past two decades.
“The authorities have charged Aung San Suu Kyi and her two maids [under the Law Safeguarding the State from the Dangers of Subversive Elements],” lawyer Hla Myo Myint said.
Suu Kyi and the others face a prison term of between three and five years, the lawyer said, which would leave her behind bars next year when the junta has said it will make good on a long-standing vow to hold fresh elections.
US national John Yettaw, who was detained last week for sneaking into her off-limits residence and staying there for two days before he was caught, was also charged with breaching a security law and immigration conditions, he said.
Update: Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi ‘guilty’
Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday Aug 11 for breaching the terms of her house arrest, but the sentence was ordered halved and suspended by the country’s junta chief.
American John Yettaw was jailed for seven years, four with hard labour.
Update 2: Burma to free Suu Kyi’s U.S. ‘guest’
US Senator Jim Webb has said jailed American John Yettaw is to be released by Burma’s military leaders and leaves the country with him on Sunday Aug 16.
The announcement came shortly after Mr Webb held talks with Burmese military ruler Than Shwe in Burma.
What an Idiot!!!!!!!! This guy should pay the price for his stupidity causing such a Horrific Travesty to Suu Kyi. All I can say is What a Total and Complete IDIOT!!!!!!!!
Barbarajean
May 15, 2009 at 7:49 am
John Yettaw is a self-righteous fool thinking that his is the only right way. If he had any wits about him – which he most certainly doesn’t – he would have seen that this was a very welcome ezcuse for the Burmese junta to crack down on Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta needed only the flimsiest of excuses and JY provided them with it. He is reportedly a Mormon, so do the Mormon Church sponsor him, or is he in some way just an agent provocateur employed by the junta? Whatever or whoever spurred him on is causing Aung San Suu Kyi a lot of trouble.
Rik Joplop
May 15, 2009 at 2:48 am