The world unites in condemnation over the sentencing of Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Leader of Burma’s pro-democracy party, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been sentenced to 18 months’ house arrest today (11 August), much to the anger of many of her supporters.

A court has found Ms Suu Kyi guilty of breaching security laws after she allowed a US national – John Yettaw – into her lakeside home after he swam there on 3 May 2009.

Mr Yettaw was also arrested and has been sentenced to seven years in jail, including four years of hard labour. US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, spoke to reporters following the latest news calling for the release of Mr Yettaw. She also said Suu Kyi should not have been convicted.

Ms Suu Kyi is leader of the national League of Democracy and has tirelessly campaigned for peace and democracy in Burma. In 1990 her party overwhelmingly won a general election in the South-East Asian country, but the military refused to hand over power and has spent 14 of the last 20 years under house arrest.

The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, commented that he was “deeply disappointed by the verdict” and he urged the government to release Suu Kyi immediately.

The UN has long-since tried to negotiate for Suu Kyi’s release with mixed results and today’s news has riled many of Suu Kyi’s supporters and those opposing Burma’s oppressive military regime.

UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said he is “both saddened and angry at the verdict”. In a statement issued by the PM, he argued that the sentence is designed to prevent Suu Kyi from taking part in Burmese elections in 2010.

Mr Brown continued: “The façade of her prosecution is made more monstrous because its real objective is to sever her bond with the people for whom she is a beacon of hope and resistance.”

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, is angered by the news and has condemned the sentence imposed on Ms Suu Kyi: “This verdict against Aung San Suu Kyi is a complete sham. It is a flimsy excuse to shut her out of sham elections next year, held under a sham constitution.

“The TUC backs the call for a UN global arms embargo against Burma, and we call on the UK and EU to support this and impose financial sanctions against this tyranny.”