US senator visits Suu Kyi

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US senator visits Suu Kyi

Published: 16/08/2009 at 04:50 AM
Online news: Asia

Rangoon (AFP) - US Senator Jim Webb met Burmese military ruler Than Shwe and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday after securing the release of the US citizen jailed for visiting Suu Kyi's house in May.

John Yettaw, bound for Bangkok Sunday afternoon.

Webb, a Democrat with close links to US President Barack Obama, became the first official US visitor to hold talks with the reclusive Than Shwe, encountering the regime's supremo in his bunker-like capital, Naypyidaw, officials said.

Webb then flew to Rangoon to meet Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi at a government guesthouse near her home - her first meeting with a foreign official since her house arrest was extended by 18 months earlier this week.

Webb's office later issued a statement in Washington saying he had secured an agreement from the junta to release John Yettaw, who was jailed for seven years this week over an incident in which he swam to Suu Kyi's lakeside home.

"I am grateful to the Myanmar government," Webb was quoted as saying, using the military dictatorship's name for Burma..

"It is my hope that we can take advantage of these gestures as a way to begin laying a foundation of goodwill and confidence-building in the future," Webb said.

The statement said Yettaw would be officially deported Sunday morning, adding that "Senator Webb will bring him out of the country on a military aircraft that is returning to Bangkok on Sunday afternoon."

A Burmese official confirmed Yettaw's deportation.

"Yettaw will be deported and leave with Webb," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Webb had also urged the Burmese military regime to free Suu Kyi, who has spent most of the last two decades under house arrest, the senator's office said.

She was driven to the meeting with Webb from her crumbling mansion in a convoy comprising her car and several police vehicles, witnesses said. She left the guesthouse about 45 minutes later.

The Burmese regime sparked international outrage when a court in the army-ruled nation convicted Yettaw and Suu Kyi over the May incident in which the American swam uninvited to her home.

According to earlier reports, Webb was not due to meet Yettaw, a diabetic and epileptic former military veteran who is being held at Rangoon's notorious Insein Prison. Yettaw was hospitalised earlier this month after suffering a series of fits.

Dissident groups have warned that Webb's visit could be manipulated by the Burmese government to "endorse" its treatment of Suu Kyi and the more than 2,100 other political prisoners in the country's jails.

The UN Security Council issued a watered-down statement Thursday expressing "serious concern" about her detention, while the European Union the same day extended sanctions against the junta, including the judges in the trial.

Critics have accused the junta of trumping up the charges to keep Suu Kyi locked up during elections next year, and of using the polls themselves to legitimise their grip on power since 1962.

The junta refused to recognise the NLD's victory in elections in 1990.

Both the White House and State Department welcomed Webb's trip, even though it was officially being made in a private capacity by the senator, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific affairs.

The Obama administration said earlier this year that it was reviewing his predecessor George W Bush's tough stance on Burma, even though Obama recently renewed sanctions against the regime.

Webb, a gruff Vietnam veteran, said in April that Washington should seek "constructive" engagement towards Burma with the aim of lifting sanctions, while admitting in July that the Suu Kyi trial made it more difficult.

Webb, 63, has written six novels and served in the late 1980s as secretary of the US Navy under Republican President Ronald Reagan.

Than Shwe has, meanwhile, been a long-term bete noire of the United States. A former postman, he has ruled Burma since 1992 with an iron-fist, ruthlessly suppressing his rivals.

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Sai Leik

Discussion 14 : 23/08/2009 at 09:15 PM14
U.S. Senator Mr Jim Webb said he supposed that conventional economic sanctions against Myanmar would not yield any benefits. In reality, he was the one who opposed the economic sanctions against Myanmar. He pointed out that a negotiation through diplomatic channel was necessary in order to lift the sanctions against Myanmar gradually.

But we Myanmar people had learnt before his visit that a spokesperson of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party said that they could not recognize Mr Jim Webb, who opposed the economic sanctions against Myanmar, as a politician who should be welcomed and that they were indifferent to his visit as it could not be democratically beneficial.

Even an influential US senator opposes the economic sanctions against our country but it is found that anti-government Myanmar groups are demanding further economic sanctions to get their own country into trouble. They are indeed quislings.

Even though the EU sanctions worked to a certain
degree, they were not satisfied with. Actually, they did not do a single thing to serve the
interests of their own country and people but have been sticking to destructive acts. Their attitude and acts are so mean. If they still regard themselves as Myanmar nationals, they should not be that disloyal to their own
country and people.
Responder

Discussion 13 : 20/08/2009 at 01:11 PM13
Mr. Yettow and Mr. Webb are both absolutely crazy for Mr. Webb to go there and get him released he thinks he has done something good but in fact he has helped to prevent democracy in Burma. Both should be totally ashamed and no praise should be given to the Junta in Burma they deserve to be under house arrest for the rest of their lives. By the way I am an ashamed American on this one.
wantmymoney

Discussion 12 : 17/08/2009 at 12:40 AM12
Time is running out for Burma, it can no longer play a different tune to Asean. It cannot keep up this military rule forever, Marcos kept it for almost 20 years but with the support of the US to fight communism, Suharto did it for decades also to keep communist away. Look at how both country fallen into despair into poverty into terrorist bombing and kidnapping, since the rise of china and india both are burma neighbours, militarily weak burma will loose the entire country to them. No one will come to burma aid if these neighbours decided to take some land from it. Clearly North Korea already indicted it will only help itself so burma have to take of its own, those burmese generals will face international arrest if they try to flee to other countries. China will not will not stick with Burma for long, china has too many problems at home with unrest in many parts of china. Time is running out for the generals in burma.
Mary Lee

Discussion 11 : 16/08/2009 at 11:51 PM11
Well, it was Yettaw who was used both by the military regime and some Burmese dissidents at Mae Sot who fed him whatever info. These responsible dissident guys still did not admit the role they played for Yettaw's entry to the home of Daw Aung San Kyi.

Finally, it was Daw Aung San Kyi who became a victim of dirty game between the junta and some dissidents. For that, Mr. Webb said at the Bangkok's press conference he'll never apologize the regime for Yettaw. Who gained, who lost? What kind of game do you think?
poor burmese

Discussion 10 : 16/08/2009 at 08:14 PM10
Than Shwe's Simple 10 Steps to Extend House Arrest for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (DASSK)

1. Sent Yettaw in November 2008 (but as DASSK reported, first attempt was failed)
2. Ordered (secretly) authorities, not to put Yettaw name in the black list to let him enter Myanmar again
3. Issued visa for Yettaw (although DASSK reported about him, and known Yettaw is a committed criminal)
4. Sent Yettaw to border area before enter Myanmar in May 2009 and let him meet with activists so that he can accuse there is connection with activists
5. Let him enter Myanmar without arrest at Yangon International Airport (although DASSK reported about him, and known Yettaw is a committed criminal)
6. Let Yettaw swim the Inya Lake and enter the DASSK's house among a numbers of police
7. Arrested Yettaw after came back from DASSK's house
8. Arrested Dr.TinMyo Win in order to fail DASSK's report to authority
9. Use out-dated and abolished act from 1974 constitution to sue DASSK
10. Sentence 18 months and keep DASSK again in house arrest to cover 2010 election.

Though 3 years fake order and reduce 18 months to gain his name, unfortunately everybody know his trick and get more angry because of his dirty tricks and shameless decision. If he simply orders 18 months, people's angry would be less than this. Because of his fake kindness mixed with his bullies, people get more angry.
paul

Discussion 9 : 16/08/2009 at 04:32 PM9
Senator, you got the wrong one released. That turd should rot in a burmese prison.
Conspiracy or frame-up?

Discussion 8 : 16/08/2009 at 03:04 PM8
The possibility that Yettaw was a mercenary who was hired by the generals to pull this stunt is a fascinating one, and does seem quite plausible to me.

This would assume I think, that he did what he did without US government knowledege, and they will now debrief him upon his return, and presumably learn the truth, though we may not.

What makes the whole thing even more fascinating, is that the only other logical conclusion, that the guy is plain and simply nuts, is so very different. If this is the case, he probably was not capable of foreseeing the probable outcome of his actions, and I do have some sympathy for him, especially since his intentions were harmless, and perhaps even good.

If you believe the conspiracy theory, he is deserving of harsh punishment and maybe real bad karma, but if you believe the latter, to suggest he should languish in Insein prison for being a nutty trespasser seems harsh. Had he not done what he did, I have no doubt the generals would have found some other reason to keep The Lady under house arrest until the elections have past.
Melvin35

Discussion 7 : 16/08/2009 at 02:08 PM7
To be a true American hero, Yettaw should serve at least 18 months imprisonment in Burmese prison. It is his responsibility.
Tapoon

Discussion 6 : 16/08/2009 at 11:00 AM6
Surprised and disappointed. The guy that caused so much pains and problems to Aung San Suu Kyi goes free and she has to be punished for the stupid thing he has done. This is not fair.

If Senator Webb could convince the Burmese Junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi then I will say he is great man and fair. The whole episode looks like a drama. It looks like it was planned before to provide Aung San Suu Kyi from next year election. Who know, maybe the guy was paid to swam to her house.
ANONNYMOUSE

Discussion 5 : 16/08/2009 at 10:47 AM5
I was beginning to think i was the only one thinking the conspiracy theory. I seem to recall that this was Mr Y's second visit to burma and that he had come to the attention of the local authorities during the first visit. As he required a visa to enter the country, he seems to have gotten it easily enough despite his little local difficulty first time round. Those guarding the Lady failed to stop him (i.e.do their job), and she is found guilty of breaching her detention. Mr Y. meanwhile has another 'superhero' rescue him and goes home to loving family who from the interview I heard on the BBC this morning, have absolutely no idea of what he has actually done (and probably dont care, as they get husband/father back safely). More worrying is the fact that these recent 'rescues' tell any loony toon traveller to sensitive parts of the world that they can behave any way they like as there are plenty of 'superheros' waiting to take off and bargain for your release. Next stop Iran?? Not so easy there I fear. But no doubt the families of those being held have the right to see their hopes raised by this latest charade.

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US senator visits Suu Kyi