Aung San Suu Kyi found guilty by Burma court, will return to house arrest

"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it." - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

No surprises here: A court in Myanmar (Burma) has issued a guilty verdict for Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She was accused of "violating an internal security law," and will serve an additional 18 months imprisonment under house arrest. She has lived under detention for 14 of the past 20 years. Reuters, CNN. Guardian UK has a timeline of events related to the case.

• [brian rutherford]

  The guy who swam over was called ‘John Yettaw’. According to some reports he’s been charged with being in the country illegally and “swimming in a non-swimming area”. He got seven years in a Burmese jail, four of those will be doing hard labour. Personally I think the whole thing stinks of a set-up. Did they arrest him beforehand and say “Do this or else”…the fact that he’s American is also just to convenient for words.

• [Anonymous]

  If it hadn’t been this guy, it would have been something. They were not going to let her out no matter what. That this guy swam across is irrelevant to the ruling.

• [Takuan]

  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/15/burma-release-us-prisoner

  so the mormon walks and she rots.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    Worst diplomatic mission EVAR.

• [mdh]

  If the ecological cost is “to the people” too, isn’t this just “human cost” all over again?

  If humans are all that matter, then sure.

• [mdh]

  I think we all know what the verdict is guilty of.

• [editjunk]

  Military Junta
  Tried real hard but couldn’ta
  Find a real charge for
  Aung Sun Suu Kyi

  Their trumped up charges don’t stick
  Put her in a jail domestic
  Thinking they is foolin’
  The likes of you an’ me

  Now she’s a freedom Fighter
  Military dawg don’t like ‘er
  But them dawgs days are numbered
  Just you wait an’ see.

• [Anonymous]

  I wonder what the guy who swam over must be feeling now? Who was the person anyways?

• [Takuan]

  some mormon.

• [thequickbrownfox]

  How Big Oil Props Up the Despots http://www.spinwatch.org.uk/-articles-by-category-mainmenu-8/61-oil-industry/4339-burma-how-big-oil-props-up-the-despots

• [Takuan]

  good article Fox, this line sums it all:
  “That said, the bitter truth is that the oil industry does prefer to do business with military despots, no matter what the human and ecological cost to the people.”

• [Takuan]

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8228198.stm

• [nosehat]

  no matter what the human and ecological cost to the people

  If the ecological cost is “to the people” too, isn’t this just “human cost” all over again?

  (Random nitpick. I agree with the sentiment of the article and the quote.) =D

• [Anonymous]

  The burmese government is well aware of the matters outlined at
  http://www.basicfraud.com
  Therefore the governments of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are silent, whilst the government of America is muted.

  I guess Aung Sun Suu Kyi is fucked!

  Albert

• [Anonymous]

  In another 18 months, I foresee another American swimmer will mysteriously appear at her doorstep.

• [markspenser]

  Fox i appreciate your article…

• [Pantograph]

  the timing of this is perfect for the government.

  What I want to know is, how did they persuade the moron to swim over?