THE WORLD MUST EMULATE THIS WOMAN'S STRUGGLE

Myanmar court extends Suu Kyi's sentence by a year and a half Associated Press Aung San Suu Kyi, shown in a 2007 file photo, was arrested in May after an uninvited American, John Yettaw, swam across a lake to enter her home. The confined pro-democracy leader's sentence is extended past the time of national elections. An uninvited American who visited her gets 7 years, 4 of them at hard labor. By Charles McDermid and Swe Win 8:53 AM PDT, August 11, 2009 Reporting from Bangkok, Thailand -- A military court in Myanmar today declared pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest and extended her sentence by a year and a half -- well past the date for national elections scheduled for 2010. Thousands of supporters and security personnel gathered outside the courtroom at Yangon's Insein Prison for the culmination of the stop-start trial that has drawn harsh criticism from Western governments, rights groups and the United Nations. President Obama has described the proceeding as a "show trial," and Burmese activists were quick to blast today's verdict. "The whole trial was politically motivated and began as a deliberate attempt to jail her. The regime wants to attach a criminal record to Aung San Suu Kyi's life, which they think will prevent her role in politics and in public life," said Bo Kyi, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a humanitarian group based in the refugee camp of Mae Sot, Thailand. "To jail Aung San Suu Kyi is to jail the future of Burma," said Bo Kyi, a pro-democracy organizer. Burma is another name for Myanmar. The junta-backed court first sentenced Suu Kyi to a three-year prison term including hard labor. After a short recess, a high-ranking official read aloud a special order from the junta chief, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, to reduce the sentence 18 months and allow the ailing Nobel Peace Prize laureate to serve the time at her villa in Yangon. The defense has 60 days to appeal, but no plan to do so was mentioned. Suu Kyi was arrested in May after an uninvited American, John Yettaw, swam across a lake to enter her home. Yettaw was sentenced to three years in prison for breaching Suu Kyi's house security and another three years with hard labor for immigration violations. The 53-year-old resident of Falcon, Mo., was also given a one-year term with hard labor for swimming in a restricted zone. Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy, has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years, mostly under house arrest. Her party won the 1990 election, but the regime rejected the results and put her in custody. According to witnesses, Than Shwe claimed to have reduced the sentence to "maintain peace and tranquility." Although a controversial constitution passed in 2008 bars Suu Kyi from standing in next year's national vote, because she had children with a British man, many analysts believe that her presence would greatly influence the election's outcome. Her party has said it will not participate unless the junta releases the more than 2,000 reported political prisoners it holds and reviews the 2008 charter. "This is not only the regime's rejection of NLD's call for review of the controversial 2008 constitution, but also ensures that Aung San Suu Kyi cannot play any role in the coming 2010 election. Then, to deflect any serious reaction to this complete injustice, the regime sends her back home for house arrest," said Naing Aung, general secretary of the Thailand-based Forum for Democracy in Burma. An eyewitness in Yangon said some unrest broke out in front of Insein Prison and as many as 50 people were hauled away in security vans. According to Bo Kyi, the streets leading to Suu Kyi's house were closed this morning and he believes that she will be taken back to her house today. State-run television has been replaying the announcement of Suu Kyi's verdict since early afternoon. "They want to highlight the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi gets her sentenced reduced," said Aye Thar Aung, secretary of the NLD-aligned Committee Representing People's Parliament, who went to Insein Prison hear the verdict. "But what the regime has shown to Burma and the world is they can punish a great leader with a jail sentence on ridiculous charges."