Burma’s Suu Kyi is sentenced to another 18 months

Aung San Suu Kyi, 64, was convicted of breaking the terms of her house arrest by allowing an American into her lakeside home in May.

The Nobel peace laureate was originally told she would serve three years in jail after the hearing at Rangoon's Insein prison but this was immediately reduced to a year and a half by Burma's military ruler Than Shwe, who said she could serve the time in her home.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown attacked it as "a purely political sentence". He said he was "saddened and angry" by the "sham" verdict.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged the European Union to impose tougher sanctions on Burma, saying the verdict was "brutal and unjust".

Mr Sarkozy's office said in a statement that Ms Suu Kyi had been victim of a political trial that was aimed at preventing her from fighting for a free and democratic state.

"The Burmese authorities have shown with this iniquitous ruling their decision to ignore pressing messages from the international community," the statement said.

"The president asks the European Union to react rapidly by adopting new sanctions against the Burmese regime, which should particularly target the resources that it profits directly from — wood and ruby mining."

Ms Suu Kyi, an Oxford graduate, has already spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention of one sort or another. She denied the charge but said she expected to be convicted.

Than Shwe today said he had reduced her sentence to "maintain peace and tranquillity" and because she was the daughter of Aung San, a revered hero who won Burma's independence from Britain. He also ordered a reduction in the sentences of Ms Suu Kyi's two women house companions to 18 months.

The American who swam across a lake to her home, John Yettaw, was sentenced to seven years in prison, including four of hard labour.

The 53-year-old, from Falcon, Missouri, stayed at her home for two days. He will serve three years for breaching Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest, three for an immigration violation and another year in jail for swimming in a restricted zone. Myint Myint Aye, of Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, said it did not accept the verdict, adding: "We demand her immediate unconditional release and we will keep on pressing."

State newspapers all ran the same commentary today warning Ms Suu Kyi's supporters not to cause trouble and told outsiders not to meddle in Burma's affairs.

"The people who favour democracy do not want to see riots and protests that can harm their goal," said the commentary in the New Light of Myanmar and other newspapers.

"Anti-government groups inside and outside the nation and the United States are accusing the government of deterring Aung San Suu Kyi from standing for election," it added.

"The approved constitution and the forthcoming election law will decide who will be entitled and who will not be entitled to stand for election."

The hearings were held amid tight security, with least 2,000 security personnel in the area.

Mr Yettaw, a Mormon, told the court God sent him to warn Ms Suu Kyi she would be assassinated by "terrorists".

A verdict in the trial had been expected on 4 August but the judge adjourned the case after Mr Yettaw fell ill. However, he was moved back to his prison cell shortly before midnight yesterday, a hospital source said.