John William Yeattaw, American, Arrested For Swimming Across Lake And Entering Suu Kyi Home

YANGON, Myanmar — Police tightened security around Myanmar's detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday after an American man was reportedly arrested for swimming across a lake and sneaking into her lakeside home.

More than 20 police entered Suu Kyi's compound Thursday morning, according to neighbors who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals in the military-ruled country. Despite tight security outside the home, police rarely enter Suu Kyi's compound where she has been kept under house arrest for more than 13 of the past 19 years.

The Myanma Ahlin newspaper reported Thursday that police fished an American man out of Yangon's Inya Lake early Wednesday while he was returning from a visit to Suu Kyi's home.

The newspaper identified the man as John William Yeattaw but gave no details of his motives. It said the man had confessed to swimming across the lake Sunday evening, sneaking into Suu Kyi's residence and then returning late Tuesday before being spotted and arrested early Wednesday.

"He secretly entered the house and stayed there," the newspaper reported, saying that he swam with an empty 5-liter plastic water jug, presumably to use as a float.

Police confiscated the man's belongings which included an American passport, a black backpack, a pair of pliers, a camera and two U.S. 100 dollar bills, the newspaper reported.

A spokesman from the U.S. Embassy in Yangon said he was "trying to find out" details of the arrest.

"The embassy has not yet been informed by authorities and we don't know anything about it," said spokesman Richard Mei.

Suu Kyi's home is tightly guarded and she is not allowed visitors, aside from her doctor.

It would be the first time that anyone has snuck into her compound or swam across the lake to get there. Swimming in Inya Lake in the vicinity of Suu Kyi's compound is not allowed.

Earlier this week, Myanmar's junta rejected an appeal to free Suu Kyi, whose most recent period of detention is due to expire May 27, according to a party spokesman.

National League for Democracy spokesman Nyan Win said the country's military authorities summoned the assistant to Suu Kyi's lawyer to the administrative capital of Naypyitaw last Friday and handed over a letter rejecting the appeal for her release.

Nyan Win said he is still hopeful Suu Kyi will be freed later this month when her six-year detention expires, although there were no indications that she would be released.

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Comments

[FranklinS]

Awesome. Thank you, Morley

[Pennsanic]

I'll bet 99.9% of Americans never heard of this woman.

I admire her courage and her dignity.

[ArthurTwoShedsJackson]

Count me in with the 0.1% then, it's not that few but I get your point.

[roshni]

She has been an inspiration for a long time. Her life is tragic. She was not allowed to visit her husband who was dying of cancer and has been detained for decades.

[bluevalentine]

I've never understood why her continued imprisonment was necessary. She is hardly an ominous figure, and hardly deserving of being in prison. Her life had a huge impact on me as a child and learning of her and her father's life. Still, pictures of their struggle, small children with weapons...so HUGE to a young mind. I pray for her good health both physicial and mental. I pray that she be allowed freedom before her own death one day.

[laikhuram]

I come from a state in India (try Manipur on Google) which borders Myanmar. I've been to Myanmar twice on a motorbike .

It is sad that somebody (Su Kyi) who is so much loved by a lot of people in her country as well as outside is being treated the way she's been treated and nobody- no country or UN- hasn't been able to do anything about it. It is a shame on all of us- a slap on our faces every single minute every day.

The situation in my part of the country is no better either. Just to let you know guys, the socio-political scenario in my part of the country (North East India) is even worse than in Myanmar. At least there is some kind of order there in Myanmar- though tyrannical. It's all in shambles here. Rampant human rights violation by government mercenaries and local goons and 'separatists' is taking place. It has been that way since the last 40 years. The India media, which obviously is run by mainstream Indians interests, don't report this. India actually is not what you've heard on TVs or newspapers or the internet.

[v eyepete]

I am so sorry to hear this. Just take a long walk and get the heck out of there!

[laikhuram]

don't think i haven't thought of that. there are landmines everywhere. nike don't work on landmines.

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

I heard of swimming to Cambodia but this? I wish Aung well. She is so deserving. She won the election by a landslide (80 to 90%) and the SLORC Junta cracked down harder than Tienamen Square. When so many politicians and dictators are self serving brutalists, Aung has been nothing but Burma's Matron Saint.

In 1994 I tried to visit because we heard she gave a monday morning speech from her balcony(or at least made an appearance), but a military Checkpoint prevented us foreigners from even walking down her street. There are many people in Burma who truely love her. One guy we met in Hispaw said his sister is serving a 20 year prison sentence because she believes in Aung San Suu Kyi.

[silencer]

Why would America be making these assassination attempts?

[v eyepete]

Is it the language barrier? Nothing I read said "assassination attempt". Perhaps is was a rescue attempt. Someone trying to help?

[ArthurTwoShedsJackson]

Dude, get some sleep.

[Khirad]

Aung San Suu Kyi is truly a heroine, and the Myanmar junta, shadowy despots; but this guy appears to just be an idiot. I know we'll do what we can do for him, but seriously... I don't know, maybe he succeeded in his motives, by raising her profile with this story. On the other hand... well, he probably knew the consequences, and I don't want to see him crying about any poor treatment.

[GetoffMylawn]

If he is tortured or imprisoned for life, and he cries about his treatment, be sure to avert your eyes. That way you become an even bigger know-it-all.

[v eyepete]

Would the holy person you use as a picture behave as you do?

[HarrietteTheSpy]

http://www.myspace.com/morleymusic

listen to WOMEN OF HOPE

incredible song that talks about this incredible woman by an incredible singer

and let's keep hoping !