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BURMESE VERSION



Mystery Deepens around ‘Swimmer’s’ Arrest

By WAI MOE Saturday, May 9, 2009
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The Burmese regime detained Aung San Suu Kyi’s physician on Thursday and the Nobel laureate was treated by his assistant on Friday for dehydration and low blood pressure, following the arrest of an American who reportedly secretly entered her guarded compound on Sunday night.

Burma's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (Photo: Getty Images)
According to the National League for Democracy (NLD), Pyone Mo Ei, an assistance of Suu Kyi’s family doctor, Tin Myo Win, gave her an intravenous drip on Friday, spending a few hours in her house. 

“First authorities permitted Pyone Mo Ei to enter for only one hour,” said Khin Maung Swe, an NLD executive member on Saturday. “But the doctor told authorities that one hour was not enough to give her an intravenous drip so authorities allowed more time for the doctor.”

Khin Maung Swe confirmed the arrest of her family doctor, Tin Myo Win, on Thursday evening. 

“Authorities came to pick up Dr Tin Myo Win on Thursday for his regular visit to give her a medical checkup. After he waited awhile to enter the house, authorities told him that he could not visit her. So he went back home,” said Khin Maung Swe. “On Thursday evening, authorities came to the doctor’s house again and took him away.”

A family member of Tin Myo Win said that he has not returned home since then. On Friday, intelligence officers came to Tin Myo Win’s house and took away some clothes, medicine and religious handbooks. Where he is being held is unknown.

Under permission of the junta, Tin Myo Win has been allowed to visit Suu Kyi every first Thursday of the month. He is the only outside visitor who regularly sees the 1991 Nobel laureate, who has been under detention for 13 of the past 19 years. Two caretakers, Khin Win and Win Pa Pa, are allowed to live with Suu Kyi in the compound.

State-run media reported that it had arrested a US citizen, “John Willian [sic] Yeattaw,” after he reportedly swam to Suu Kyi’s lakeside house compound and stayed secretly in the house from Sunday night to Tuesday night. He was arrested about 5:30 am on Wednesday.

NLD sources said foreigners have previously attempted to enter Suu Kyi’s lakeside compound. A foreigner tried to enter in 2008 by giving money to security guards. At the time, Tin Myo Win reportedly told authorities about the incident on behalf of Suu Kyi.

An NLD source, who requested anonymity, speculated that Tin Myo Win’s arrest could be related to the swimmer’s case because authorities might want to question him about the previous incident.

The state-run-media did not report any new details about the arrested US citizen or Tin Myo Win’s arrest on Saturday.

However, members of the junta-backed mass organization, Union Solidarity and Development Association, have launched a smear campaign, claiming the swimmer who sneaked into Suu Kyi’s house was an agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency. 

“This kind of rumor is totally wrong and impossible,” said Han Thar Myint, an NLD spokesman.

Suu Kyi’s current house detention is set to expire on May 27 under Burmese law. However, government prosecutors contend the date of expiration is in November.

Some diplomats believe Suu Kyi could be released this month while others think the junta will find a way to keep her in detention after the expiration date.



COMMENTS (19)
 
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P.Ram Prasad. Wrote:
16/05/2009
Dear Sir,

Every one has to follow the rules and restrictions (Laws)of the local government.
Whoever violated the laws, you have to take action. I request the local government to take action against the American and second against the person who gave the treatment.

Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi I believe is innocent and honest to the junta. If the junta can consider and allow her to leave the prison, it is very good government. No one is having the right to argue with the laws which are correct.

KKK Wrote:
15/05/2009
To Okkar,

That homeless American guy has been to DASSK's house before. He has been there assisted by the generals. This is the second time he has entered DASSK's house assisted by your generals. If you want to know more detail, come and see me in San Francisco.

KKK Wrote:
15/05/2009
To Mike30,

There is no law in Burma under this regime. The generals do not rule Burma by laws, but by guns.

mike30 Wrote:
12/05/2009
anawartha,

I am not familiar with Burmese law, but is there really a crime of "insincerity" punishable by disappearance at the hands of security forces?

Anawratha Wrote:
12/05/2009
Mr Left,

It is public knowledge that Tin Myo Win and family have been flip-floppers. Therefore, it is common sense and logical to think that he will still be a flip-flopper even if Suu Kyi becomes leader of our motherland. Therefore, it is our responsibility to alert the public that he is not a sincere person.

swe Wrote:
12/05/2009
Daw Suu is a highly intelligent woman. She must have known these ugly consequences if she tried to hide this man's presence in her house for few days.

The likely scenario is: Daw Suu let the security men known the minute she found out he was there (immediately); the security men got panicked and scared of being blamed for their irresponsibility, took other ways of disclosing the news to the higher authorities, instead of the truth, and let him swim back and was arrested.(Hence it took a few more days for them to put this plan together).

Naturally, the government could go along with the security men's story in order to put the blame squarely on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. (Everyone will certainly undermine John William's words as a criminal's lies, anyway).

Okkar Wrote:
12/05/2009
It appears that this is not the first time Mr Yettaw has been sleeping at Suu Kyi's home. Here is the photo and detail confession of Yettaw:

http://www.tharkinwe.com/myanmar-local-news/120-2009-05-11-05-09-36.html

KKK Wrote:
12/05/2009
Salai, I agree with you. That guy got paid for that. Junta paid him to do that.

Dave Wrote:
12/05/2009
I think Tara has it spot on. Unless you want to immerse yourself in tiresome reverse psychology, as a “CIA operation,” publicly swimming to ASSK's home in order to, errm, effect nothing at all, it is fairly useless. It's hardly up there with secret bombing campaigns and exploding cigars.

Okkar Wrote:
12/05/2009
Burma can't wait for her release or Burma can't wait for development? Do you think our country would prosper overnight if she was released? What kind of crazy notion is that?

Tara Wrote:
11/05/2009
If John William was from CIA, why didn't he swim back to the lakeside American Embassy which is 200 meters farther away from Aung San Suu Kyi's house rather than swimming back over one mile distance? He could also choose many safer places to land such as on Inya Road side. I think it is the government’s plan to justify to remove Aung San Suu Kyi from Yangon which has more political attention.

Burma Child Wrote:
11/05/2009
She needs to be released. Burma can't wait.

Salai Wrote:
11/05/2009
The conspiracy theory surrounding the US swimmer to Suu Kyi lakeside villa is [a plot] by the military regime to prolong Suu Kyi’s house arrest.

Okkar Wrote:
10/05/2009
Since when did the US ever admitted to anything the CIA is doing? Did they ever admit publicly about these rendition flights even though it's all in the media? Did they ever admit that the CIA was conducting covert wars in Laos and Cambodia during the 70s - not to mention providing air drops to KMT to invade Burma? Just because the US deny it, that doesn’t mean it’s the truth. When are you people gonna learn?

Mr.Left Wrote:
10/05/2009
Anawratha,

Why do you want to accuse someone with no reason? Dr Tin Myo Win might be as you said. Nevertheless that is not your business. What I mean is Dr Tin Myo Win is the only one who was allowed to give treatment to Daw Aung San Su Kyi. What can Burmese people do? At least, it is something better than nothing.

Try to use your common sense and think logically. I am not blaming or finger pointing at anyone, including you.

Natkalay Wrote:
10/05/2009
The government must come forward with the facts they published; no chance for secret withdrawal. Only worrisome is that govt will take advantage out of this case for one of these: 1) House arrest extension, 2) Character assassination, or 3) Life-time imprisonment for fabricating conspiracy theory.

The time is too coincident to the time of her release and at the time here appeal was turned down. Since they can mange any uprising by any class without tangible backfire, govt is now fully confident that they can continue their unjust and unfair games whatever they like. On the other hand, govt is caught up himself by so-called 92% approved constitution which can not deliver solutions to ethnic groups. No armed-group will drop their guns for a photo session in parliament.

George Than Setkyar Heine Wrote:
10/05/2009
There's something fishy there! They don't want the doctor to get access to Daw Suu and learn the truth obviously.

Instead they let his assistant do the job.
No doubt, the assistant was already threatened to keep his mouth shut; most probably, he might be "wired" also.

If things get too hot, Daw Suu may be relocated to the wolf's lair, Naypyidaw.

The story could be fictitious, given the regime's foxy nature. The American might be under pressure to toe their line; hence no news yet and it's going to take a while yet.

If he was there for three days, why can't they say the rest of the story? If it is true, the guy could be a good bargaining chip for Than Shwe.

On the other hand, it raised the question of Daw Suu's personal security. Next time, we may find Daw Suu dead in her home, either by natural or unnatural causes; a premonition of things to come I fear.

Anawratha Wrote:
10/05/2009
Tin Myo Win was arrested because he deserves it. His whole family is not sincere and have been a double sword for a long time.

Pyi Taw Thar Wrote:
10/05/2009
The junta will find the way to continue the detention of Daw Suu. If a group or a person is shameless and wicked, they will not hesitate to fabricate any story.





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