I must have missed this one.

[_Trevor]

Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma's pro-democracy leader) intruder is Mormon and Vietnam vet

John Yettaw, the American whose lake swim led to Suu Kyi's arrest, was reportedly writing 'faith-based' book on heroism

by Maev Kennedy

The American intruder described by one member of Aung San Suu Kyi's staff as "a nutty fellow" was John Yettaw, 53, a Mormon who reportedly told Burmese exiles in Thailand he was writing a "faith-based" book on heroism.

Before he set out, he photographed himself wearing homemade flippers, which he used along with lashed-together plastic containers as flotation aids, to make the mile-long swim across Inya lake.

He was identified by US media as a Vietnam veteran – he would have been 19 at the end of the war in 1975 – and a Mormon who said he had come to her house to pray with her.

The Washington Post said little was known about Yettaw but reported the official Burmese government newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar, which gave his home as Falcon, Missouri, and said he had arrived in Burma on a tourist visa on 2 May.

Among possessions confiscated by the authorities were a black flashlight, folding pliers, a camera and Burmese and US currency.

A Burmese opposition magazine, Irrawaddy, reported that he met with exiles in Thailand before entering Burma and told them of his plans to write a book.

Time traced a John W Yettaw residing in the Ozarks whose son, also described as a Mormon, died two years ago.

[_Ray A]

Looks like some sort of mental case.

Time.

A Vietnam veteran, he suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder, according to his ex-wife.

[_KimberlyAnn]

He was quite the dedicated missionary!

[John Yettaw] swam across Inya Lake to Suu Kyi's home last year but was blocked from meeting her by her staff. He reportedly left a copy of the Book of Mormon and swam away.

KA

[_Ray A]

He was quite the dedicated missionary!

Unfortunately Aung San Suu Kyi needed this like she needed a hole in the head.

Where has Droopy been of late?

[_Danna]

Oh dear, that is not going to reduce suspicions about missionaries being in the employ of the CIA.

[_Dr. Shades]

Why didn't he just drive around the lake to get to her house?

[_Ray A]

Why didn't he just drive around the lake to get to her house?

I think he was going for the World's Breaststroke record. Maybe he thought Aung San Suu Kyi would make a good plural wife.

[_Sethbag]

Oh dear, that is not going to reduce suspicions about missionaries being in the employ of the CIA.

I'll tell you an anecdote from my mission that goes along the same line. There was this Syrian guy that I really liked talking with. He worked at a "heisse Maroni" stand, ie: a roasted chestnut stand in Bern, Switzerland. He was such an interesting guy to talk to, but he had these suspicions of us, thinking we must work for the CIA or something. Well, he was so interesting to talk to that I once took my companion's mini tape recorder along to tape a conversation, and had it in my trenchcoat pocket. He saw me reach into my pocket to turn it on, and asked what I was doing. I showed him the recorder, and he took off. I'll tell ya what, I could say what I wanted after that, but he simply would not believe I didn't work for the CIA.

ROFL. And that whole tape recorder thing totally made it look like I was, too. The funny thing is that, as damning as it looked to him, I really was just this naïve, inexperienced 19-year old American kid a month or two into my mission.

[_Gazelam]

Why didn't he just drive around the lake to get to her house?

Aung San Suu Kyi is a democratic candidate in that country who would overthrow the dictatorship there if she were allowed on the ballot. The government there had her under house arrest. She was due to be released and would have been involved in upcoming elections.

John Yettaw said he went to see her because he had received a revelation that she was going to be assasinated. He was probably correct, but instead they claim that she has violated her house arrest by entertaining this man and they have now imprisoned her after a show trial.

The people there are very upset as they had hopes of her coming to power.

[_Ray A]

John Yettaw said he went to see her because he had received a revelation that she was going to be assasinated. He was probably correct, but instead they claim that she has violated her house arrest by entertaining this man and they have now imprisoned her after a show trial.

Newsflash, Gaz, Aung San Suu Kyi has been under the threat of assassination for years (I've been following her story for as long). It doesn't take a "revelation" to realise this.