Aung San Suu Kyi trespasser incidents
On 4 May 2009, American citizen John Yettaw trespassed upon the residence of Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, two weeks before her scheduled release from house arrest on 27 May. This illegal visit prompted Suu Kyi's arrest on 13 May 2009. Yettaw himself was arrested by Burmese authorities on 6 May. He was charged on 14 May with illegally entering a restricted zone, illegal swimming and breaking immigration laws. It is illegal in Burma to have a guest stay overnight at one's home without notifying the authorities first.
Self-portraiture on camera in Yettaw's possession at the time of his arrest: shown attached to Yettaw's sandals are homemade swimfins fashioned of heavy paperboard | |
| Date | 4 May 2009 |
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| Location | Lake Inya Residence at 54 University Avenue, Yangon, Burma, where Aung San Suu Kyi was being held under house arrest |
| Participants | John Yettaw |
| Outcome | Arrests of Yettaw, Suu Kyi and her two housekeepers Khin Khin Win and Ma Win Ma Ma on 6 May 2009 Suu Kyi's sentence: 18 months house arrest Khin Khin Win and Win Ma Ma sentences: identical with Suu Kyi's Yettaw's sentence: 7 years imprisonment, 4 of which, hard labour. (Yettaw's sentence was subsequently commuted to three and a half years, which itself was suspended upon his deportation from Burma on 16 August 2009.) |
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State Counsellor of Myanmar
President of National League for Democracy
Leader of the Opposition
House Arrest General Elections Books
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Their trial began 18 May 2009. On 11 August, Yettaw was sentenced on three counts totalling seven years, including four hard labour. Suu Kyi was sentenced to eighteen months of house arrest. On 14 August, US Senator Jim Webb arrived in Burma and successfully negotiated Yettaw's release and 16 August deportation.
Burmese authorities asserted that Yettaw's visits were instigated by opposition groups as part of efforts to pressure and embarrass the Burmese government. The incident effectively meant that she was unable to participate in the 2010 elections.