There was absolutely nothing surprising about today's verdict by a Burmese court in the case against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for violating the conditions of her house arrest: guilty with a three-year prison sentence "commuted" to 18 months under house arrest. We at Amnesty International had anticipated that this is what the government would do: a guilty verdict but a less-than-maximum sentence would be the government's back-handed "concession" to the international community's pressure and concern.
Yet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is a prisoner of conscience, and as such, should have never been detained in the first place. The only acceptable "concession" is her immediate and unconditional release.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's sentence is outrageous and abominable. It is a slap in the face of the international community. If they felt they could weather the diplomatic storm of sentencing Daw Suu Kyi to the maximum five years behind bars, doubtless the generals would have done so.
Unfortunately, the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – both of which called for Daw Suu Kyi's release over the past several months – have a costly history of accepting lateral or even backward movements in Burma as progress. They must not do so again.
Arguably, the generals conceded as much as three and a half years and harsh conditions in Insein prison. But effectively, they conceded nothing. Simple maths will tell you that elections can be held as late as 31 December 2010 and still precede Daw Suu Kyi's scheduled release by two months.
The international community must react now in accordance with human rights principles – and reject this unacceptable outcome. They must also remember tha Daw Suu Kyi is one of the countless other prisoners of conscience in Burma, many of whom languish in terrible prison conditions.
