Myanmar releases U.S. man

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar freed an ailing American whom it had sentenced to seven years of hard labor and handed him to an influential U.S senator on Sunday, a move that could help persuade Washington to soften its hard-line policy against the military regime.

Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, who secured John Yettaw’s freedom, said he believes years of sanctions have failed to move the Southeast Asian country toward democratic reforms or talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Webb said he would discuss his conclusions and recommendations with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and others on his return to Washington. He declined to speculate on what the Obama administration — which is reviewing its policy toward Myanmar — would do. Webb can rally support for changes to U.S. policy in Asia as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee.

Webb flew with Yettaw to Bangkok on Sunday afternoon. Yettaw had been at Insein Prison in Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, since his arrest in early May.

The 53-year-old American was apprehended as he swam away from Suu Kyi’s lakeside residence, where he had sheltered for two days after sneaking in uninvited. He was convicted last week of breaking the terms of Suu Kyi’s house arrest and related charges and sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor.

Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 14 of the last 20 years, was herself sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor for violating her house arrest conditions through Yettaw’s visit, although that was reduced to 18 months under house arrest by order of junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe.

Observers widely believe Yettaw’s intrusion into Suu Kyi’s home gave the junta a legal pretext to keep the Nobel laureate incarcerated through next year’s general election. Yettaw testified that he had a vision that Suu Kyi was at risk from assassins and visited her to warn her.

A pale and haggard-looking Yettaw had to be assisted as he walked off the small plane on arrival in Bangkok. He smiled and flashed “I love you” in sign language to waiting reporters. He did not respond to questions.

In the United States, Yettaw’s family said he has been hospitalized in Bangkok.