US Senator Jim Webb said yesterday he had asked Myanmar to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and let her take part in politics during talks that secured the release of an American jailed for visiting her.
The Democratic senator landed in Bangkok, Thailand, with John Yettaw, whose swim to Suu Kyi’s home in May led to her renewed detention after authorities said his uninvited stay had breached the terms of her house arrest.
He had met junta leader Than Shwe at the remote new capital of Naypyidaw on Saturday and then flown to Yangon to meet Suu Kyi at a guest house.
PHOTO: EPA
Suu Kyi was sentenced last week to another 18 months under house arrest and Yettaw’s action was widely seen as giving the junta a pretext to keep Suu Kyi out of politics until after an election due next year. Webb said he had raised the issue.
“I’m hopeful as the months move forward they will take a look,” he said.
“With the scrutiny of the outside world judging their government very largely through how they are treating Aung San Suu Kyi, it’s to their advantage that she’s allowed to participate in the political process,” he said.
“What I said to the leaders of Myanmar is that I believe that it will be impossible for the rest of the world to believe the elections were free and fair if she was not released,” he said.
He said the US stood ready to help Myanmar.
Yettaw was not at the news conference. He went immediately to hospital after landing in Bangkok, where he walked from the plane to a waiting vehicle with a steadying hand from officials. He spent several days in hospital this month in Yangon.
Yettaw had been sentenced to seven years’ hard labor on three charges, including immigration offenses.
“I believe what happened was regrettable,” Webb said. “He was trying to help. He’s not a mean-spirited human being.”
Webb was allowed by the military authorities to speak with Suu Kyi for about 45 minutes on Saturday, after meeting members of her National League for Democracy and other political parties who had been invited to Naypyidaw by the government.
Some in Myanmar remained bitter at the treatment of Suu Kyi.
“The most tangible outcome of his visit is the release of John Yettaw, who caused the mess,” said Thakhin Chan Tun, a former ambassador to North Korea.
“However, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is completely innocent in this incident, is still under house arrest,” he said.
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