Wednesday, May 27, 2009

American says "God" told him to warn Suu Kyi

Hla Hla Htay

Burmese citizens living in Japan hold portraits of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi during a rally in Tokyo (AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi).

YANGON (AFP) – A US man told the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi Wednesday that he swam to the Burmese democracy icon's home to warn her of a divine vision about a "terrorist" plot to assassinate her, her party said.

John Yettaw took the stand for the first time in the case against the Nobel Laureate, who faces up to five years in jail on charges of breaching her house arrest, stemming from the American's bizarre visit this month.

The 53-year-old said he came to Burma from his home in Missouri because he had a dream that terrorists would try to pin the blame for killing her on the military regime, Aung San Suu Kyi's party spokesman Nyan Win told reporters.

"Yettaw said he came here because God asked him to," said Nyan Win, who is also on her legal team and was in court Wednesday for the closed hearing at the notorious Insein Prison in Yangon.

"He said the reason he came was in his vision he saw that Aung San Suu Kyi was assassinated by terrorists. Because of his vision, he came here to warn Aung San Suu Kyi and also the government," Nyan Win said.

"In his vision, the terrorists assassinated Aung San Suu Kyi and then they put the blame for the assassination on the government, so that's why he came here to warn both of them," he said.

Nyan Win said judges questioned Yettaw for three hours, during which the devout Mormon and former US army veteran repeatedly said he had divine inspiration for his night-time swim on May 4. More>>


Darwin's descendent in Oxford dispute

Great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin, Ruth Padel, is Oxford's first female Professor of Poetry since the post was created 300 years ago. She spoke at a press conference in Wales on 5/26/09, where she explained her resignation, acknowledging she publicized charges her rival for the post sexually harassed a former student (AP/Ben Birchall/PA Wire).

LONDON — A fight over who gets to be Oxford University's top poet has set Britain's pens racing — and weakened the careers of two well-known wordsmiths. More>>

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