Obama Demands Suu Kyi Freedom

(AP) - American John Yettaw boarded a flight home today, ending an infamous journey that began three months ago with a secret swim to the home of Aung San Suu Kyi that landed them both in prison. Suu Kyi, who repeatedly asked him to leave, and her two live-in aides, are still in custody. "It's very ugly that the person who caused the problem was released but the three people in the house remain detained," Suu Kyi said. More»

Sen. Webb: 'What he did was regrettable'

(NEWSER) - While Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi begins another 18 months under house arrest, the American responsible for her sentence is free and has landed in Thailand, reports CNN. John Yettaw, whose release was won by Sen. Jim Webb, was hospitalized for observation in Bangkok. “He had a medical emergency this morning when they read him his orders of deportation,” Webb said. Yettaw had been sentenced to 7 years' hard labor for swimming to the home of Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest at the time. More»

Myanmar democracy activist gets another 18 months house arrest

(NEWSER) - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been found guilty of violating a security law because an American swam to her house, and will again be placed in house detention for at least another 18 months, Reuters reports. The court handed down a sentence of three years hard labor, which the country's military government cut in half and commuted to house arrest. The guilty verdict was widely expected by critics who say the case was trumped up to keep Suu Kyi out of next year's election. More»

Yettaw hoped to post video on YouTube

(NEWSER) - The American who jeopardized Aung San Suu Kyi’s freedom by swimming to the lakeside home where she was under house arrest told the court yesterday he did so because he “had a vision” that Suu Kyi’s life was in danger, the Independent reports. John Yettaw planned to alert Suu Kyi, and hoped to post a video of the pro-democracy activist on YouTube, but she refused to be filmed or photographed, according to the Daily Mail. More»

Grief-stricken American dad landed Burmese activist back in prison

(NEWSER) - The daughter of the man who jeopardized Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom by swimming to visit her while she was under house arrest insist that John William Yettaw is "not crazy" and had "no ill intention," the Telegraph reports. The Vietnam veteran's strange plan may have been triggered by his teenage son's death. More»