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."

XYZ Hillary's Free Expression..XYZ.... of such things as the Presidents nose and other jigs;BY PHILO IKONYA

Dalmas Otieno would prefer a program called ABC in which people dance Do re mi to our politicians but he has not got it. XYZ is on and it is working for Kenyans to keep in memory what their politicians do and mean to them. "When I say Ji, you say Mi!" floats a long a Kibaki figure perfectly campaigning for his son... and "mimi mjanja!" and this is hilarious from the man who called Kenyans 'pumbafu' for quite a while...and Kenyans did not weep at his gate for that. People must laugh and show their leaders how they see them and this is the essence of cartoons that make really serious statements and analyses of the use, excesses and abuse of power...No one can say do not draw me like that.. that is how the cartoonist sees you and most of us too. It is a good thing that the criticism of XYZ as terrible satire has come from Dalmas Otieno who speaks on behalf of the people featured on XYZ saying that this is a terrible program. This tells us how those who would seem to be balanced in thought an action always succumb to different levels of sycophancy. Otieno is most concerned about the way the nose of the president is depicted in XYZ on Citizen TV. The strip of Raila and Kalonzo in the loo was played and replayed last evening as Dalmas Otieno told off those who like to remember evil things of their wonderful governments. I think that the features of the persons depicted here are very well done. It may be that Dalmas would rather see different features on the face of the president because what i see is pretty well done on XYZ. XYZ is a terrific show. But on the matter of free expression, matters are fickle and based on personalities in power. Hillary Clinton praised a free and vibrant media in this country. If we take the chattering of birds on every shrub as an expression of freedom then perhaps... but if we want also to hear what the birds are chattering about then we have issues and I do not want my freedom of expression mixed up with the capacity to make noises. It happened in this nation that having many radios in different languages resulted in 'noises' that led us close to catastrophy. Freedom is mainly in the content of what is expressed and this is where politicians flinch their toes. Do we have freedom of information? There are still government secrets all over the place. Do we have freedom even of expression? and there are other issues still to be tackled even on the more friendly bill; by the way how had it reached the level at which journalists poured out into the streets with mouths bound up. Was it just a mistake? Those who wanted to give details of what they knew to Philip Alston and those who did suffered for their free expression. We allow people to talk as long as they chatter. XYZ is not chattering. It is touching where things matter, the raw nerves and also of course providing a funny bone for this nation and we need one badly lest we die of staring at evils without ever laughing. There are two journalists from The Star being interrogated by police and who are being forced to give information on their sources regarding their story on terrorism. From what I read, they did not sound free. Recently the book Michela Wrong's 'It is our turn to eat' was not stocked in our shops freely because the bookshops feared being fined heavily by people mentioned in corrupt deals. There is Chaacha Mwita's book Citizen Power that is part of underground literature today... and it is not the only one..I saw it wriggling beneath the right literature in the Storymoja Hay Festival in the hands of a lecturer. So, freedom here is relative. If we cannot have the freedom that touches substance, if people feel or are perceived to be threatened because of their opinions then we do not have free expression. Philo Ikonya President PEN Kenya Centre From a forth coming book by Zarina Patel on Manilal A. Desai "....The first thing I wish to know is what became of my Association since I left? Is Indian Association and E. A. Chronicle especially you Mr Desai trying to help us through my people? I believe you are doing so. The E. A. Chronicle paper of the 18thinstant reached here the same day I arrived and it was read in my presence because it was in Gujarati. I was very glad to hear how they wrote of my arrest, at the same time I hereby request you to convey my thanks to the Editor." Harry Thuku, 1922 "Love Kenya, heal Kenya! Implement the Waki Report! "