BANGKOK — Myanmar freed an ailing American whom it had sentenced to seven years of hard labor and handed him over to an influential U.S senator 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 thinks 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 after his return to Washington.
Webb flew with Yettaw to Bangkok on Sunday afternoon.
The 53-year-old American was apprehended in May 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 past 20 years, was 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 the junta chief, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Yettaw testified that he had a vision that Suu Kyi was at risk from assassins and visited 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.
His ex-wife, Yvonne, said she had spoken to his current wife, Betty, of Camdenton, Mo.
“He told her he was not treated as well as everyone there and in the press had been saying,” said Yvonne Yettaw, of Palm Springs, Calif.
