Burmese Democratic Leader Convicted

By Michael Burgevin

Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted yesterday for violating the conditions of her house arrest in a political move that could tighten the military junta’s control over dissidence ahead of next year’s elections. Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi’s arrest took place after an American traveler swam across a lake and broke into her residence. The man, Mr. John William Yettaw of Falcon, Montana, was supposedly attempting to meet her to discuss a psychology paper he was writing on forgiveness. Police took Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi and two of her companions into custody for allegedly hosting an individual not approved by the government, which violates the stipulations of her house arrest. She could receive up to five years’ imprisonment.

Many political analysts have stated that the sentence is both unfair and politically motivated. Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 13 of the last 20 years under house arrest, would have been free at the end of this month. “The Burmese regime is clearly intent on finding any pretext, no matter how tenuous, to extend her unlawful detention,” said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown earlier on Tuesday. U Soe Aung, a representative for the Bangkok-based Forum for Democracy in Burma, agreed with the Prime Minister. “It is ridiculously obvious that they are trying to put her away from any involvement in the upcoming election.”

The government of Myanmar has tightened national security in the run-up to the country’s first open elections in almost three decades, scheduled to take place next year. During the last national elections in 1990, Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory. However, the results were rejected by the military regime, which has controlled the country since 1962. Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi has continued to spearhead the democratic movement while imprisoned in her home. In 1991, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in Myanmar.

Many foreign organizations and governments have called on the junta to stop harassing Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the arrest, stating that “We oppose the regime’s efforts to use this incident as a pretext to place further restrictions on her, and therefore we call on the Burmese authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally.” Senior General Than Shwe has not yet made any official responce.