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16 Aug 2009 11:27

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World: John Yettaw’s free! Here’s the inevitable getting-off-plane pic

Yettaw (center), looks like he’s having a hard enough time walking right now, let alone swimming across a freaking moat. source

16 Aug 2009 11:16

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U.S., World: Activists: Will Jim Webb’s visit to Myanmar actually bear fruit?

  • It’s too premature to say this is very positive. … It could break the ice.
  • Nyo Ohn Myint • A former aide of Aung San Suu Kyi, on whether Sen. Jim Webb’s meeting with the human rights activist will be of any use to Myanmar’s political climate, as well as personal tensions between Suu Kyi and Senior General Than Shwe. Webb, who supports easing sanctions on the country (also known as Burma), was the first major U.S. politician to meet Than Shwe. Activists say this could be a face-saving situation where the country doesn’t actually give anything up. Either way, at least he got John Yettaw home. • source

15 Aug 2009 20:32

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U.S., World: Jim Webb in Myanmar: We knew we always liked that guy

Sen. Jim Webb (with home-jailed activist Aung San Suu Kyi) proves in Myanmar what Bill Clinton did in North Korea: Diplomacy works. source

15 Aug 2009 09:30

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U.S., World: Aung San Suu Kyi’s stupid visitor, John Yettaw, is getting released

  • Credit Sen. Jim Webb for the diplomatic work. John Yettaw, the out-of-shape American who swam across a moat to save Burmese human rights leader Aung San Suu Kyi but just made things worse, will be getting out of seven years of hard labor. It’s thanks to Webb, a Virginia senator who comes off as a miniature Bill Clinton in this context. While Yettaw gets out, there’s no word on Suu Kyi, who was sentenced by Myanmar to more house arrest in a decision that angered many. source

14 May 2009 20:51

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World: Burmese gatecrasher John Yettaw appears to be insane

  • You can’t raise your voice. You cannot touch him without startling him. I lived with the man. Yes, he has it. He also has bipolar but I don’t believe he has been diagnosed with that. I would call him that.
  • Yvonne Yettaw • Whose ex-husband John recently started some drama with a Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, and got her in trouble. Granted, there is a degree of “I hate my ex-husband SO MUCH” in there, but she did live with the guy, so she knows better than most. • source

14 May 2009 20:40

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World: Some weird guy on a mission to Burma just ruined an activist’s life

  • Burmese pro-Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was living out the waning days of her house arrest and very close to a possible release. source
  • A weird, creepy guy from the U.S., John Yettaw, swims to her house and tries to meet with her. (Nobody’s really sure why outside of insanity.) source
  • Burma finds that, because this guy visited her house, she broke the terms of her house arrest and now faces likely jail time. WTF, Burma? source