John Yettaw, 53, sentenced to 7 years with hard labour
Posted on 08/12/2009 8:57:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway
John William Yettaw thought he was on a mission from God to save Aung San Suu Kyi. But the American ended up inadvertently extending her house arrest.
It started with his now infamous swim in May. Overweight, asthmatic and suffering from borderline diabetes, he arrived at the back door of the Nobel Peace laureate's home and lay down exhausted, with cramps in both legs. Suu Kyi's two companions heard him moaning but let him in only after dawn.
Then Suu Kyi herself told him to get out, allowing him to stay two nights when he complained of ill health instead of kicking him out onto the street. She later explained she had known so many colleagues in Burma, also known as Myanmar, who were unfairly arrested and would not wish that fate on him.
The bizarre and unexpected visit led to a trial in which Suu Kyi was sentenced yesterday to 18 more months of detention on a charge of violating her house arrest, and 53-year-old Yettaw got seven years' imprisonment with hard labour.
Yettaw spent the final days before the verdict in a hospital for epileptic seizures, isolated and under guard. His sentence shocked his family.
"How is he going to do hard labour if he is so ill?" a former wife, Yvonne Yettaw said by telephone from Palm Springs, Calif.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters yesterday the seven-year sentence given to Yettaw is cruel and excessive. "We remain greatly concerned about his health and the harsh sentence imposed upon him," Crowley said.
Yettaw had arrived dripping at Suu Kyi's house with little more than a pair of homemade flippers, a camera in a waterproof bag and a warning – he'd had a "vision" that Suu Kyi would be assassinated. But when observers at her trial called the American a fool, Suu Kyi chose to defend him, saying he had a right to say what he believed.
John Yettaw, 53, sentenced to 7 years with hard labour
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
WTF was he thinking?
Tin-foil hat, concerned do-gooder, Obama voter, or something else?
Cheers!
More Obama hostage diplomacy. North Korea, Iran, now Myanmar.
Latest city Falcon, MO
Lebanon, MO
Glendora, CA
Covina, CA
This one not Obama’s fault.
Latest city for what?
I think there is an excellent case to be made for “raving looney.”
Burma?
Obviously, this Yettaw has some serious mental issues, and the question of proper disposition of his case is highly debatable.
However, there is no justice in further imprisoning Aung San Suu Kyi for the actions of a lunatic over which she had no control.
Dear God, I hope and pray that America is not turning into another authoritarian hell hole like Burma. The way things are going, I’m not so sure.
i guess i’m just think.
what was yettaw, the 53 yo guy, arrested for? swimming across a lake? staying in someone’s house? did he force them to stay? is that kidnapping?
and how did suu kyi end up with extended house arrest? because she was in the house the guy visited???
i’m just confused
Sneaking into a foreign country is a crime.
That ‘vision’ thing again...
Couldn’t he have just emailed her?
Probably...
Joe Wilson's hostage "rescue" landed him an ambassadorship, albeit in Gabon. Plus press coverage.
Can't wait to see who is going to try to cozy up to Burma and offer our apologies.
Right. Sounds like something he inherited from Bush!
:-)
I wonder if he was on medication for his diabetes? My husband has said I’ve said some pretty bizarre things when my blood sugar is really low.
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