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BURMESE VERSION



Suu Kyi to Face Trial Following Unauthorized Visit

By SAW YAN NAING Thursday, May 14, 2009
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Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her two female caretakers were arrested at her lakeside home in Rangoon on Thursday and taken to Insein Prison, following an American citizen’s overnight intrusion into her home.

Suu Kyi, 63, and four others involved in the incident are expected to be tried for violating Burma’s security laws.

File photo shows Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi talks with supporters and well-wishers after praying at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon. (Photo: AP)
Police and members of the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Association provided increased security around the prison after crowds of Burmese citizens gathered.

Dr. Tin Myo Win, Suu Kyi’s family physician, also will be charged in connection with John William Yettaw, 53, staying in Suu Kyi’s compound overnight after swimming across Inya Lake.

Opposition sources said Suu Kyi will appear in court on Monday. In Burma, it is against the law for a foreigner to stay in the home of a Burmese citizen overnight without approval from authorities.

Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Missouri, will also be charged, presumably for violating one of Burma internal security laws. No motive has been given for Yettaw’s intrusion into the compound.

Yettaw swam across Inya Lake on the night of May 3 and left the compound early on the night of May 5, swimming a distance of about 2 kilometers. Authorities arrested him later that morning.

NLD sources said Suu Kyi spoke with the American while he was in the compound. Her caretakers gave him food, and Suu Kyi told him to leave the premises, said NLD sources. 

Security authorities said Yettaw told them he had made a similar visit to Suu Kyi’s compound from Nov 7 to Dec 3, 2008.

According to opposition sources, at a later date, when Suu Kyi received a medical check-up from her family doctor, Tin Myo Win, she asked the physician to report Yettaw’s entry into the compound to the authorities. The doctor made a report to the Police Special Branch, but no action was taken.

Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the National League for Democracy (NLD) told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the Nobel Prize laureate and her two caretakers, Khin Khin Win and Win Pa Pa, were escorted by authorities from the lakeside compound early Thursday morning.  

According to Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Kyi Win, Police Col Win Myint Htun said Suu Kyi will face charges in an Insein Prison special court set up to handle political dissidents. Late Thursday, it was not known if Suu Kyi was returned to her home or remained in Insein Prison.

According to her lawyer, Suu Kyi is charged under Section 22 of the State Protection Act, which says that “any person against whom action is taken, who opposes, resists, or disobeys any order passed under this Law shall be liable to imprisonment for a period of from three years up to five years, or to a fine of up to 5,000 kyat, or both.”

On Thursday, lawyers representing Suu Kyi, including Kyi Win, Hla Myo Myint and Nyan Win, attempted to meet with Suu Kyi in Insein prison. Last week, Suu Kyi had difficulty eating and was suffering from low blood pressure and dehydration.

According to sources, cars from the US embassy entered the prison on Thursday morning.

A US diplomat was allowed to talk with Yettaw on Wednesday. Burma's state-owned newspapers published a still photograph of the swimmer.

The Rangoon rumor mill greeted the story of Yettaw’s intrusion into Suu Kyi’s compound with a high degree of skepticism, questioning his motives and the background to the incident.

Many speculated that the incident was created or being manipulated to discredit Suu Kyi and offer the military government an opportunity to extend her house arrest, which is set to expire on May 27.

In past weeks, there was a slim ray of hope that Suu Kyi might be released from house arrest, but that now seems to be an impossibility.



COMMENTS (14)
 
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Blubber Wrote:
16/05/2009
This incident only highlights to the world once again that Burma under the military junta is a country where an innocent victim will get blamed for and imprisoned for a crime that someone else committed against the victim.

Burma is such a beautiful country and the Burmese such wonderful and warm people, but the reality of the harshness and ruthlessness of the military regime is advertised to the world by this sad state of events.

The regime does not need a savvy advertising or public relations firm to shout out to the world how life under their rule in Burma is. They do a great job of it with their outrageous acts. The story is now making headlines all over the world.

And yet they want tourists to visit the country in droves. What if a tourist did not know the ridiculous rules of the government and was forced by circumstances to stay overnight at a friend's place? The friend will be jailed for 3-5 years for being a good friend and helping the tourist.
Nice place to visit

Tom Tun Wrote:
15/05/2009
The stupidity of this American fellow is incomparable! His wife said he is a peace- loving man, but just think about the trouble that he has caused Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmese democracy. I also believe it brings incredible shame to the US government and its citizens. The guy is nothing but selfish, stupid and a coward. Let's hope the American government will do something about this idiot.

Yan Sai Wrote:
15/05/2009
Those generals are just stupid. They are turning a starving country into a dead one. They're just so isolated and don't know what's going on the world. Than Shwe is now happy when Suu Kyi is on trial but he doesn't know that the world is watching him all the time and recording all stupid actions he takes. Poor guy! Someday, Burma will enjoy freedom when Than Shwe and his killers are on trial. The people of Burma will enjoy the time when Than Shwe is hanged just as Hussein was.

Heng Khur Wrote:
15/05/2009
The NLD should not shout for a foul as it is playing political games against the worst notorious team of SPDC. Since the NLD is a leading force of Burma's democratic movement, the majority of people are hinging their hopes on the NLD for a political change. NLD should only blame itself for incompetent leadership. It should play hardball against the bullies and choose for a hardline tactic. Liberation is not free and democracy is not free, either. The NLD should make sure the waiting people are not getting sick of NLD.

ThissarMyay Wrote:
15/05/2009
In 1999, James Mawdsley from the UK was given 17 years prison for repeated demonstrations against the Myanmar junta. But he was freed after 300 days in Insein prison. Similarly, John William Yettaw will be freed by SPDC in no time, whereas the peoples' leader Daw Aung san Suu kyi (no matter how innocent she may be) is doomed to serve the full term, not a day less than 3 years sentence if found guilty by the junta's accomplices. Law in our country is to punish the opposition only, especially NLD members. The foreigners, I'm sure, are getting wrong messages out of these incidents.

ANTISPDC Wrote:
15/05/2009
Even a child knows that the American guy was paid by the SPDC. Who can enter Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's home without permission from the SPDC?

Time for revolution!!

Wake up all Burmese people!!

Time for strike!!

Let's fight against SPDC!

Call for REVOLUTION ON MAY 18

Pierre Gauvin-Évrard Wrote:
15/05/2009
I am quite worried about the fragile health of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and also I'm angry.
I'm crying with rage. Will one day Burma be free? Is there a place in the history of the world where a fascist regime has last so long because of diplomacy? Hitler was able to do what he did because of diplomacy!

Ta-yoke Kyi Wrote:
15/05/2009
I’m really concerned about this latest incident in Aung San Su Kyi's house, because we do not actually know what this American man, John Yettaw, did. There are so many questions: Was he paid to do this by the Burmese government’s agents, or was he framed to do a silly thing like this?

Whatever reason attracted John Yettaw to do this, one of the major goals of the Burmese dictatorship is to keep Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi away from the coming general election in 2010, which engineered by the dictator General Than Shwe. Also, the dictatorship wants Burmese people to hate Westerners by the thoughtless act of John Yettaw. It’s seemed to kill two birds with one stone for General Than Shwe.

Dictator Than Shwe and his cronies must understand that without Aung San Suu Kyi and opposition parties, there is no solution for Burma's political deadlock. We Burmese peoples want all world democratically elected governments to cut their ties with the illegal Burmese dictatorial government.

A Chit Wrote:
15/05/2009
The is a very clear picture. It's all the junta's complete frame in time. My question is, how much did the junta pay for the American to do so.

Yan Sai Wrote:
14/05/2009
The junta is so stupid, tricky and inhumane. What a shame--holding guns and wearing army uniforms while engaging in the good-for-nothing ways of politics. Why doesn't the international court of justice issue arrest warrants to the junta for treason of the Burmese people? Where are the exile groups-- NCGUB or NCGB or whatever? Still drinking and having a fun? No issues yet? No a single word? In terms of Burmese politics, we have been in shame for a long time,taking into account both sides are just stupid and people's starvation.

Ursus Wrote:
14/05/2009
The generals killed two birds with one stone. First they pay a stupid American for this show so they have a reason to sentence Aung San Suu Kyi. Then they set this guy free after talks with the American Consul. In exchange the Americans lift their sanctions. It's so simple.

These generals have nothing in common with human beings!

Tom Tun Wrote:
14/05/2009
Just a common sense question for Daw Suu’s legal battle. If Daw Suu didn't invite the American visitor, how can she be guilty of the charges? It is just the lack of Burmese army security system. What a shame.

Remember South Korea President Chan Doo Wan visited Burma a little more than two decades ago and there was another breach. Who was responsible for that event? Why don't the army lay charges to the guards who were on duty at that time? Is the army ignoring the true facts because army does not want an inner struggle?

Where is justice? Is justice only the interest of the army or is there still true justice left in this world for the suffering people in Burma?

Interesting thing is US government doesn’t speak out about this matter yet.

The people in Burma are still believing in goodness. Burmese people need help to bring the guilty people down. For goodness sake, please stand up and do the right thing.

STLN Wrote:
14/05/2009
It is not a surprise to see this kind of incident was planned and executed by the Than Shwe-led SPDC which they hope will enable them to charge Daw Suu and perhaps extend the period of her house arrest at least for one more year. Yettaw might have been awarded some thousands of dollars for accepting the offer from the Burmese military to cooperate with some parts of these plans – the military smear campaign.

It that was the case, I think the US Diplomats should make Yettaw confess and prove that indeed the incident was nothing but manipulated by Than Shwe. Then Daw Suu is free, and Than Shwe is charged is with conspiracy.

Moe Gyaw Wrote:
14/05/2009
Aunty Suu was supposed to be free in less than a week. All of a sudden, this good-for-nothing American swimmer tried to break in her compound like a set piece of a movie. Should it be that coincidental? It can't be without someone [organized] this coincidence. He performed the same set piece last year. That time Dr Tin Myo Win reported this sucker to authorities. Again he was allowed to intrude into the compound at this very sensitive time. I think there is no need to wait for the whole story to come up while anyone can tell what happened and what's gonna happen. The plot is simple, but so vicious.





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