Rangoons prisoner

She is a testament to the will of the people,a source of power for the powerless and,unsurprisingly,Aung San Suu Kyi once again finds herself behind bars at the notorious Insein Prison in Yangon. Suu Kyi was nearing the end of her six-year term under house arrest,when US citizen John Yettaw made an impromptu yet fateful visit. This visit,in which Yettaw spent one night at Suu Kyis lakeside home,has provided the ruling junta with a pretext for further detention. Legally,she can now be sentenced to another five years under the countrys draco-nian legal system.

Unfortunately,not a lot can be done. The junta has shown its complete disregard for public opi-nion both in 2007 and 2008. 2007 saw monks take to the street,and their peaceful demonstration was crushed by brute force. Then,in 2008,Myanmar was hit by Cyclone Nargis; the ruling elite disregarded all aid channels by refusing aid workers access to the affected zone. The upshot? Most of the Irrawaddy region still lies in ruins. International calls do not match the policy of engagement practised,perforce,by Myanmars neighbours: policy is divided,and so the effect it has on the junta is minimal.

Suu Kyi has been under detention for most of the last 19 years,serving consecutive sentences. This is the very first time the junta will allow a trial. Her party the National League for Democracy maintains that this is merely for political gain: There is no criminal issue here. This is a political issue only. The real fear is the threat of elections: Myanmar has been promised a vote in 2010,the first election to be held in over two decades. The last one,in 1990,taught the generals one lesson: Suu Kyi is a formidable foe. The new constitution bars her from contesting; even so,the generals fear the force of her very presence. Thats what theyre trying to dodge.